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Months After Embarrassment on World Stage, 2x All-Star Jaylen Brown Lashes Out at the “Toxic” and “Problematic” Culture in Part of Celtics Nation

Published 03/18/2023, 5:50 AM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

After falling short of the Golden State Warriors in the previous season, the Boston Celtics have bounced back stronger as they compete for the championship ring again. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics have managed to secure a spot among the top contending teams in the league with 48 wins to date. Amidst the regular season chaos, Brown sat down for an exclusive interview to address the issues that came with being a Celtics player.

It has been over a decade since the Celtics last won a championship, and last season they came pretty close to lifting the trophy. However, the duo of Brown and Tatum fell short of the Warriors who won their third ring in just a span of five years.

Jaylen Brown opens up about Celtics fandom

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Several NBA athletes have time and again stated that Boston fans are not really welcoming when it came to certain players. Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James had once called them ‘racist as f*ck’ during an episode of Uninterrupted. Whereas, Golden State Warriors player Draymond Green told ESPN that ‘it took a while to adjust’ to the racial slurs that fans directed towards him and Stephen Curry during the 2022 NBA Finals. To top it all, Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell had termed Boston as “a flea market of racism” in his memoir, Second Wind.

Similarly, Jaylen Brown has time and again given his thoughts on systemic racism and the racial beliefs that have divided the Celtics fans. In a recent interview with Sopan Deb of The New York Times, Jaylen Brown got real about his career and life in Boston. Deb brought up the racial discrimination that Black athletes have often faced while playing in Boston and asked Brown if he has faced the same.

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USA Today via Reuters

Brown replied, “I have, but I pretty much block it all out. It’s not the whole Celtic fan base, but it is a part of the fan base that exists within the Celtic nation that is problematic. If you have a bad game, they tie it to your personal character.”

Furthermore, he added, “I definitely think there’s a group or an amount within the Celtic nation that is extremely toxic and does not want to see athletes use their platform, or they just want you to play basketball and entertain and go home. And that’s problematic to me.”

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While the Warriors had to deal with the racist comments during the 2022 Finals, Brown opened up regarding the embarrassment they felt upon getting beaten on their home court.

The Celtics star opened up on the disappointing loss

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The recent episode of SHOWTIME Basketball took place in the practice court of the Boston Celtics where star athletes Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Marcus Smart sat down with the hosts for an extensive interview. As the conversation ensued, co-host Kevin Garnett enquired about the earlier practice where he saw Brown dominating his opponent in a one-on-one and asked what it was all about. JB replied that he was only sharpening his skills to get better and recalled their major defeat last season.

Brown said, “Last year man, for me personally, like it was embarrassing. You know one, the whole world was watching. I think it was one of the most televised finals in finals history. So it’s like the whole world is watching. All over the world, all over America and they all saw us lose. They all saw us at the end, on our own floor, Game 6, almost just let the rope go. And they celebrated in our house, like that hit me different.”

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WATCH THIS STORY: Jayson Tatum vs. Jaylen Brown Net Worth: Which Celtics Star is Richer?

The Celtics are currently going strong at the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference rankings as they graciously make their way to the playoffs.

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Written by:

Siyari Debbarma

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Siyari Debbarma is an NBA writer for EssentiallySports. She is currently pursuing a degree in Civil Engineering and previously interned at the Y-East Organization as a content writer. Siyari has played quite a bit of basketball throughout her school years, and started following the NBA last year.
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Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth