'To look back on it, I think that a lot of growth has taken place'
It’s been a year.
Between the global pandemic and everything that’s happened since it began, it’s hard to imagine everything going back to the way it was before.
But Jaylen Brown thinks that could be a good thing in some ways.
The Boston Celtics wing reflected on the last year and how much he’s grown as a person off the court as the one-year anniversary of the NBA’s suspension of the 2019-20 season approaches
“Yeah, 2020 was definitely an intense year for everybody,” Brown said following the Celtics’ 117-112 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday. “A lot of people felt the amount of pressure as the society shut down and the NBA was probably one of the biggest indicators, you know, of the world now. Everything was kinda crazy at that time.”
It’s true.
Once the NBA began its indefinite hiatus following the first COVID-19 positive, the rest of the dominos fell. And beyond just with professional sports leagues coming to a halt.
And with all of that uncertainty came additional tension with the social justice movement that swept the nation, a cause Brown has been at the front and center of. His work and advocacy there really helped him get recognized nationally as one of the NBA’s best leaders, despite his age.
And though it was a difficult year, he takes a lot of positives from the experience.
“To look back on it, I think that a lot of growth has taken place, personally,” Brown said. “And I think everybody has raised their awareness, not just for social justice issues, but mental health and etc. I think the world will benefit from that time off. And this year, you know, I think people are more aware of applying some of the things that they learn. But that’s the nature of not just the NBA, but life. Things happen. You learn and you grow. You improve in and now you add it to your daily regimen.”
That’s a great way to look at things.