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In his fiery livestream, Jaylen Brown called out Joel Embiid for flopping and accused the referees of bias. The Boston Celtics lost three straight games after taking a 3-1 series lead, ending their season in the first round despite holding home-court advantage. A heavy fine was expected since the former Finals MVP was fined earlier this year for the same offence.

Even before the league announced its decision, Brown once again on social media tweeted his frustration. “Click bait is like flopping for the media exaggerating contact yall be safe out here.” Hours later, the NBA put its foot down to reprimand the 29-year-old. “Boston Celtics guard-forward Jaylen Brown has been fined $50,000 for public criticism of the officiating, it was announced today by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. Brown made his comments on a livestream on May 3 following the Celtics’ 109-100 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series on May 2 at TD Garden.”

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Brown did not simply complain about one call. He accused officials of targeting him because of his reputation and past criticism, saying on Twitch that they “clearly had an agenda.”

“Why are you targeting me?” Brown shared. “They clearly had an agenda, maybe because I spoke so critically of them in the regular season. So, you know how they responded. You’re going to lead the playoffs in offensive fouls… and I actually spoke to some refs, and they said there was an agenda going into each game. Like anytime Jaylen brings his arm up, just from reputation, call it.”

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The Celtics star even showed and analyzed a play from Game 7 where Paul George performed the same maneuver and hit a triple. “Do you know how many players do that? That’s the common play, a basketball play,” Brown said about the push off. It’s not the first time that Brown has made a statement against the referees.

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In January, he was fined $35,000 for publicly criticizing officiating after Boston’s 100-95 loss to the Spurs on Jan. 10 at TD Garden. Those comments were made both during a press interview and on social media, prompting league action. While he was frustrated, fans, analysts, and current NBA players slammed the Celtics star for his behavior.

Stephen A. Smith and Draymond Green questioned Jaylen Brown’s antics

Many viewed the criticism from Brown as a move which avoid accountability. “Bro, you get paid over $300 million. You were an MVP candidate,” said Smith on First Take. “The point is, when something like that happens, you cannot have that residue of that experience you’re griping about, Joel Embiid flopping. That is not why the Boston Celtics lost.” Stephen A. Smith reminded Jaylen Brown that the Celtics missed 11 of their last 12 shots and were a horrible 13-49 from 3-point range in Game 7.

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Similarly, Draymond Green added, “However, as you all know, not a huge fan of calling the guy out once you lost.” He continued, “I just don’t love that because it comes off as excuse-making. A lot of people are trying to say, ‘Oh man, Jaylen Brown making an excuse.’ When you, in fact, could be telling the dead honest truth, but because you lost, people are always going to say ‘There’s the excuse’. And I feel like you end up wasting one of your bullets because it doesn’t hold weight anyway because you lost.”

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Even though many viewed it as problematic, Jaylen Brown had to say his piece. He has been vocal throughout his career and has never backed down from any challenge on and off the court.

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Pranav Kotai

2,846 Articles

Pranav Kotai is an editor at EssentiallySports, specializing in basketball coverage with a focus on trade dynamics and front-office decision-making. Having previously worked on the Trade Desk vertical, he brought clarity to how salary cap pressures and roster needs shape NBA transactions. His insightful coverage of the Philadelphia 76ers’ decision to hold firm on Joel Embiid amid trade speculation highlights how market context and team strategy influence major roster moves. Before joining EssentiallySports, Pranav holds experience of skills in professional writing, editorial work, and digital content creation. He holds a postgraduate diploma in digital media from a reputed institute, where he mastered the tools to create engaging and credible content across various platforms. Known for his attention to detail, proficiency in storytelling, and editorial expertise, Pranav combines deep basketball knowledge with sharp analytical abilities to deliver clear, insightful perspectives on the complexities of NBA trades and team management.

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