Jaylen Brown continues to show impressive leadership both on and off the court.
The Boston Celtics star took action by peacefully protesting the death of George Floyd back in May, and he continues to speak out against racial injustice in the United States after this week’s shooting of Jacob Blake by a Wisconsin police officer .
While it was the Milwaukee Bucks who incited a league-wide boycott of playoff games to protest racial injustice and police outcry, it was the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors who ran the ball in that direction.
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Stephanie Ready of TNT and NBATV joined NBC Sports Boston’s “Bigger Than Basketball” special Thursday night to explain how the Cs and Raptors called the boycotts into existence, and how Brown was one of the leaders in the Orlando bubble.
“It was the Celtics and the Raptors who had that first team meeting of the first team, joint team meeting, when they discussed the possible seating of the game that was scheduled for Thursday night,” Ready said. “That was what came out in the atmosphere, and they would lead the way. Jaylen Brown in particular has been very vocal in these player meetings. And I’ve talked to a few players who have said he’s been among the leaders.
“The general sentiment with these players is that they want to go back to action. They want to play games, but they also want to hear their messages. And I think that’s where it’s getting confusing for them. They are upset because they want to play, but they do not want their game to become a distraction and break their messages. I think they are working hard to find out how they can achieve both goals. “
“Jaylen Brown has been very vocal in these player meetings, a few players have said he has been among the leaders.”@StephanieReady explains the role Jaylen Brown plays in helping shape the NBA’s social justice message out of the bubble. pic.twitter.com/HR80Mm9iwi
– Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) August 28, 2020
Brown as a leader in the NBA’s latest action against social injustice comes as no surprise. He has eloquently discussed the country’s ongoing problems with racial inequality and police brutality in the Orlando bubble, even before shooting Blake.
We will probably hear much more from Brown about these issues in the coming days, weeks, and even years. The 23-year-old has made it clear that he will not “keep close and dribble” and instead make these important topics frontal.
The matchup of C’s-Raptors Game 1 has of course been postponed. The game would presumably take place on Sunday.
