Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Opens Up About Stephen A. Smith Drama

Celtics star Jaylen Brown was the talk of the basketball world Monday, even before he claimed Eastern Conference finals MVP.

Brown found himself in a bit of a social media spat following a critical report from Stephen A. Smith. On Friday’s episode of “First Take,” Smith revealed a sentiment from an “NBA source,” who claimed Brown’s marketability suffered due to his “I’m better than you attitude.”

The three-time All-Star was asked about the situation with Smith after Boston completed a sweep of the Indiana Pacers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

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“I’m in that phase of my life where I just embrace all forms of negativity or whatever the case is,” Brown told reporters, per a team-provided video. “Some stuff I don’t understand. It ain’t meant for me to understand it. I just know who I am and what I stand for. Sometimes it makes people feel uncomfortable and sometimes I miss out on things. I miss out on opportunities, awards, marketing deals or whatever the case may be. At this point, I just embrace it. I am who I am and I’m going to stand on my beliefs. I am one of those people who will die for what I believe in. So, I just embrace it at this point. I’m grateful that I’m able to be in this position and the energy is about to shift.”

Brown didn’t miss out on an award Monday, as his incredible play across four games against the Pacers yielded the Larry Bird Trophy in very deserving fashion. And now, the 27-year-old is four Celtics wins away from winning basketball’s most coveted prize.