Local Hollywood Star Expresses Admiration for Jaylen Brown: 'Proud That He's Playing in Boston'

Bobby Krivitsky | Aug 1, 2024

Jun 21, 2024; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) holds the MVP trophy during the 2024 NBA Championship parade in Boston. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

In an appearance on ESPN's First Take to promote his new movie, The Instigators, available on Aug. 9 on Apple TV+, Boston-born Hollywood star Matt Damon gushed over Jaylen Brown's ability to balance what it takes to become an NBA star who just earned Eastern Conference and NBA Finals MVP honors while helping lead the Celtics to Banner 18 with the intellect, care, perspective, and energy necessary to make the level of impact Brown's having off the court.

"One present-day player who I absolutely love for what he does on and off the court is Jaylen Brown," said Damon. "I just admire that guy. I can't believe at how young (of) an age, he's already thinking strategically about how to use his platform to make the world a better place. It's so hard, it's so competitive to do what pro athletes do, (and) it's so competitive to get there. You have to be so singularly focused. And then to stay there takes so much.

"Instead of just thinking about 'How can I hold on to this station?' And you've got to mine that store because if you lose that, then you lose your platform and your impact, right? So, he's got to be thinking in these two different ways, and he's thinking so comprehensively. He's obviously a really conscientious guy, a really, really smart guy, and I just admire him. He's a formidable man, and I'm really proud that he's playing in Boston."

On his Instagram stories, Brown showed his appreciation for Damon's sentiments, placing three goat emojis over a screenshot of the latter as Damon discussed his respect for the former.

@FCHWPO on Instagram

Brown's initiatives include the 7uice Foundation, dedicated to fighting systemic racism, and the Bridge Program, which works with the Community Biotechnology Initiative at the MIT Media Lab to provide science and technology opportunities for children in Boston's underserved communities.

He's also launched Boston XChange, a nonprofit initiative to generate $5 billion in generational wealth in communities of color, as he brings his revolutionary goal of bringing Black Wall Street to the NBA city he stars in.

Further Reading

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