With several of his Boston Celtics teammates now on the Team USA roster, Jaylen Brown has voiced his dissatisfaction over not being selected for the team.
Celtics guard Derrick White was officially named to the U.S. Olympic team on Wednesday, stepping in for a former Finals MVP who had to withdraw due to injury. Brown, who is the reigning Finals MVP, was upset about not being chosen and took to social media to express his frustration, hinting at a potential conspiracy involving Nike.
Brown began by posting cryptic emojis on X (formerly known as Twitter), followed by a more direct message tagging Nike and saying, “@nike this what we doing?”
RELATED: NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown Makes Pilgrimage to Mecca
Nike, a longstanding and possibly the most famous sponsor of the Olympic Games, has a complicated history with Brown. Brown, who currently isn’t signed with any shoe brand, has previously criticized Nike for what he perceives as unethical practices.
It seems that Brown suspects he is being intentionally excluded from the Olympic team by Nike. His theory gained traction among his supporters, who also noted that Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, a former Nike athlete who was dropped by the company in 2022 and subsequently criticized them, was not selected for the U.S. Olympic squad either.
The selection of Derrick White by Team USA was seen as a strategic move, bringing in a lower-usage role player to complement the already star-studded roster.
However, Brown appears to believe that there is a more sinister motive behind his exclusion. Fresh off an NBA championship run where he was named both Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP, Brown feels that his performance and achievements warranted his inclusion on the team.
Brown’s disappointment is further amplified by his strong history of social advocacy, which he believes should have been considered in the selection process. His absence from the roster, despite his impressive credentials, has raised questions and fueled speculations about possible external influences affecting the decisions of Team USA selectors.
The situation underscores the complexities and politics often involved in the selection process for prestigious teams like Team USA, leaving fans and commentators to speculate about the true reasons behind Brown’s exclusion.
