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Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown doesn’t appear too happy about being overlooked as a replacement on the Team USA roster.
Brown’s teammate, Derrick White, was selected to replace Kawhi Leonard on the 12-man roster for the Paris Olympics. Leonard dropped out on Wednesday, July 10, after three days of training camp in Las Vegas.
“I am happy to announce that Derrick will compete at his first Olympic Games on the heels of a championship season in Boston,” USA Basketball managing director Grant Hill said. “We look forward to him joining the team in the coming days as we continue preparations for Paris.
“I want to thank Kawhi for his commitment to the USA Men’s National Team. He earned the opportunity to represent the United States, but USA Basketball and Clippers leadership felt it’s important to allow Kawhi to prepare for the NBA season.”
Brown responded with three raised eyebrow emojis on social media less than 10 minutes after the announcement.
Brown found some support online following the snub.
“Choosing Derrick White over Jaylen Brown is insane,” one commenter wrote.
Jaylen Brown Expressed Interest in Team USA Spot
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Getty ImagesCeltics star Jaylen Brown had previously expressed interest in playing for Team USA.
Picking White over Brown is an interesting move and there’s not much clarity around the decision. Brown helped lead the Celtics to the NBA title, averaging 23.9 points during the regular season. He was named NBA Finals MVP after Boston captured banner No. 18 in June.
Browns had previously expressed interest in playing for Team USA.
“Playing for USA basketball, I think there’s no greater honor,” Brown said in October of 2023. “I think playing for your country is definitely — coming from my community, coming from where I come from, where the majority of our demographic come from, having the opportunity to represent that, your community, your outer community and the people that support you, I think that is a part of it as well. Being able to participate would be great.”
The Celtics have three players on the Team USA roster: Jayson Tatum, Jrue Holiday, and now White. The Los Angeles Lakers (Anthony Davis and LeBron James) are the only other team with multiple players on the roster.
Jaylen Brown Also Left Off All-NBA Teams
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Getty ImagesJaylen Brown was not an All-NBA selection this season.
As far as personal accolades go, Brown had a tough year. He was left off all three All-NBA teams, which drew a response from his teammates.
“First off, JB definitely deserves it. He was unreal this whole season taking on that challenge,” White said in May. “Whenever there was a big name or a big player, he wanted the challenge. He kind of set the tone for us the whole season and I think he definitely was deserving.”
Brown tried not to make it a storyline with the Celtics during a title run.
“I mean, we’re two games from the Finals,” Brown said. “Honestly, I don’t got the time to give a [expletive].”
Ultimately, Brown can’t complain too much. Along with his championship ring and Finals MVP, he signed a five-year supermax extension worth $303.7 million before last season.
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