The Jaylen Brown-Stephen A. Smith feud might finally come to a close, as they could move away from social media jabs and indirect punches. Amid the Celtics forward’s All-NBA honors, he challenged the veteran analyst to a one-on-one debate in front of a live audience. Once again.

Everything began after Brown considered this past season his “favorite” despite the team’s first-round exit and Jayson Tatum’s injury absence. Although the star said it in reference to the team’s fight through hurdles, it was already too late. Stephen A. joined the bandwagon, asking him to “be quiet” if he doesn’t want to get traded. Thus began the back and forth.

Now, Jaylen Brown seemed prepared to push these exchanges beyond social media posts, live streaming, and television segments. In response to Smith’s latest warning, “Be careful what you wish for,” hinting at much amplified reporting, Brown took to his Twitch live stream after his NBA honors and called for a live debate. Most importantly, the Celts’ forward felt that the debate would be “a piece of cake.”

“Traditional media vs. us athletes, and let’s do a live debate in front of a live-streamed audience at a mutual location—like Harvard or MIT—and let’s talk about it, and let’s see who comes out on top,” said Brown. 

This isn’t the first time the two have directly confronted each other. A year ago, Stephen A. Smith dropped a controversial reason behind Jaylen Brown’s snub from the USAB Olympic team. The 58-year-old felt that the forward wasn’t “liked” by many, and he wasn’t “marketable.”

This instantly triggered a conflict when Brown wrote, “State your source,” via X. It further escalated into a one-on-one TV debate. The debate ended smoothly with Smith revealing that it was the star’s family who revealed it.

However, this time, things could get ugly with JB questioning Smith’s reporting and accusing him of pushing narratives. At the same time, both men aren’t alien to public speaking, especially on college campuses. Smith has participated in multiple GOAT debates on college campuses, while Brown has regularly given lectures on complex topics at esteemed colleges. So, it’s a fair battle.

Ironically, Brown called for a debate when he should be celebrating his NBA honors.

Amid chaos, Jaylen Brown reacts to NBA honors

The Celtics forward secured a spot on the All-NBA second team alongside superstars like Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell, Kawhi Leonard, and Jalen Brunson. Statistically, this past season emerged as JB’s best season in his 10-season-long career.

Moreover, narrowly missed the first-team honors. He received 44 votes for the first team and 54 for the second. If not for Cade Cunningham’s 60 votes, Brown would have fetched the first-team honors.

Although he was grateful for the feat, he added, “I’m not the most liked by fans or media. Sometimes I use my platform a little controversially, so I’m surprised I’m on any team, let alone first or second,” via his latest stream.

He averaged 28.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg, and 5.1 apg to lead the Celtics into a 56-win season without Jayson Tatum playing the majority of the tournament. This wasn’t the reason why he considered it his “favorite season.” The team managed to achieve this feat without JT and the championship roster that included Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford. 

“We showed up, we competed every single day, and we had to fight for every victory,” Brown said via his earlier live stream.

Nevertheless, given the duo’s history, we might witness the Smith-vs.-Brown debate well before the NBA Finals.