The Boston Celtics defeated the New Orleans Pelicans in comeback fashion at TD Garden on Monday, but one of the most important moments of the afternoon came during the pregame ceremonies.
Jaylen Brown stood at center court to address fans, recognizing the impact of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. while acknowledging the ongoing fight against systemic racism.
"Today, we honor the life and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.," Brown said. "In doing so, it's important to emphasize his life's work and what he sacrificed his life for, his message to get across. Systemic racism is real. It plagues the city of Boston as well as the rest of our society. Thank you to Dr. Martin Luther King and continue with others that have sacrificed their life and platform for the cause that we all believe in. Rest assured, the fight is continued."
After the win, Brown shared a video of his speech to his personal Twitter account.
"Institutionalized racism is real thank you Dr.MLK the fight is continued!" he wrote.
The Celtics were the first game on a full 12-game MLK Day slate in the NBA.
