Nike Fires ‘Childish’ Shot At Celtics Star Jaylen Brown Amid Beef

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown isn’t too fond of Nike, and the feelings might be mutual.

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 59 points to lift the Bucks over the Detroit Pistons in overtime. It essentially was a one-man effort from the two-time MVP as Brook Lopez was the only other Milwaukee player to score over 20 points. The highlight performance from Antetokounmpo prompted a response from Nike.

“Nothing childish about ’em. 59 for the Greek freak,” the Nike Basketball X account posted.

It didn’t take Celtics fans very long to figure out the reference.

Brown called Antetokounmpo “a child” for his high-five fakeout Sunday. Brown and C’s overcame Antetokounmpo’s 43-point triple-double to come back and beat the Bucks in the drama-filled contest.

The fact that the “childish” message came from Nike also sent fans into an uproar. Brown believes the clothing brand influenced his Olympics snub last summer, a claim that Grant Hill and other USA Basketball leaders denied. Brown has been vocal about Nike and designed his own shoe brand to show athletes there is a path beyond the big companies.

Boston took down the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday night, so the social media post might not have been top of mind for Brown. However, it would not be surprising if there was a response from the 2024 NBA Finals MVP.