Brad Stevens Addresses Jaylen Brown Getting Left Off Team USA
![Oct 2, 2023; Boston, Celtics, USA; Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens talks during Boston Celtics Media Day. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports Oct 2, 2023; Boston, Celtics, USA; Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens talks during Boston Celtics Media Day. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_6000,h_3375,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_celtics/01j33eygywhqyte248gy.jpg)
On Monday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Jaylen Brown addressed getting left off Team USA's men's basketball roster for the Summer Olympics in Paris.
"I wasn't surprised, but my reaction was I was happy for D. White," said this year's NBA Finals MVP during halftime of the Celtics' 88-74 win over the Lakers at Summer League. "It's dope to have so much of our guys on there, so I was happy for those guys, but I wasn't surprised."
It's an added source of motivation for Brown, who "for sure" believes Nike played a role in excluding him from representing his country in Paris this summer.
On Wednesday, during halftime of Boston's second-straight Summer League victory, an 89-84 win over the Hornets, Celtics' president of basketball operations, Brad Stevens, shared his thoughts on the reigning NBA champions comprising 25 percent of Team USA's men's basketball roster but Brown not getting chosen.
Brad Stevens reacts to Jaylen Brown being left off #TeamUSA
— Celtics on CLNS (@CelticsCLNS) July 17, 2024
⚡️ @PrizePicks @gametime pic.twitter.com/NsemAHN83O
"I don't think there's any doubt that Jaylen could be on any team; (he) could be on any Olympic team in any year, right? But at the end of the day, I think his approach, and he talked about how he called Derrick, (and) he talked about his own feelings from it. But I know this about Jaylen: Whether he has success and gets all the accolades, like Finals MVP or Eastern Conference Finals MVP, or if he feels like he got left off a team, I know he's gonna be motivated and hungry regardless; that's what I've always loved about him. He always comes back to work."
Coming off a season of evolution and helping lead Boston to Banner 18, utilizing getting left off Team USA's roster as added fuel could help Brown reach new heights, a development that would go a long way toward the Celtics' quest to defend their title, a goal the three-time All-Star told Inside The Celtics he's already turned the page to focusing on.
Jayson Tatum said getting over the hump and winning a championship has lifted a weight off his shoulders. I asked Jaylen Brown if it’s also alleviated a burden for him.
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) July 16, 2024
“I do, but then right when that burden gets alleviated, you get more motivation to follow it. So for me, it’s… pic.twitter.com/4eFA3NJw74
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