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Jaylen Brown makes bold claim that Nike played a role in his Olympics snub after his Boston Celtics teammate made it
The NBA Finals MVP put up career numbers last season
NBA star Jaylen Brown claims Nike was involved in his controversial Olympics snub.
The Boston Celtics star was overlooked for a place on Team USA for this month's Games in Paris.
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Brown was named the NBA Finals MVP following a fantastic season with the Celtics.
The 27-year-old put up career numbers as Boston ended a 16-year wait for an NBA title.
Brown was initially left out of the USA squad but was tipped to join after Los Angeles Clippers guard Kawhi Leonard was forced to drop out.
His Celtics teammate Derrick White was chosen to replace Leonard by the selectors.
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Brown indicated on Tuesday he believes Team USA sponsor Nike had some influence in the decision.
"I do, for sure," Brown replied to CLNS after being asked if Nike "played a role" in his snub.
"There be more stuff to come with that," he continued.
"As of now, I'm not going to comment on it."
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Brown posted a series of cryptic tweets on X following Team USA's decision to select White over him.
One tagged in the apparel brand, as he wrote "@nike this what we doing?"
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Brown has never been signed as a Nike athlete and left his previous deal with Adidas almost three years ago.
The Celtics star ended the season in impressive form as he took the series MVP against the Dallas Mavericks.
He averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists during the NBA Finals.
Earlier this year, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith claimed Brown doesn't always get the credit he deserves because of his personality.
Citing an unnamed source, Smith claimed Brown is "just not liked."
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By The U.S. Sun's Assistant Sports Editor Damian Burchardt.
THE new TV rights deal is promising to be a humongous win for NBA players.
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That is going to send the value of player contracts skyrocketing.
Projected figures suggest we might see the first $100 million-per-year deal being signed soon.
Currently, Boston Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum is projected to earn the highest single-season salary in NBA history, collecting $71.5 million in 2029-30.
It does feel like basketball fans would be on the losing side of the fight if the NBA and TNT indeed parted ways, though.
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The NBA won't be the same without Kenny and Ernie trying to make sense of Shaq and Chuck's never-ending bickering every Tuesday night.
"It's not so much that he's underrated; it's that he's just not liked because of his 'I-am-better-than-you attitude'," Stephen A. claimed during an episode of ESPN's First Take in May.
"He knows it. It's the same reason he is not as marketable as he should be."
Brown hit back at Smith in a stinging social media post.
"State your source," he wrote.
"That's not happening. It's journalism. Not revealing sources," Smith fired back.
Read More on The US Sun
Team USA is chasing a fifth-straight Olympic gold medal in Paris.
The superstar team featuring LeBron James and Steph Curry play Serbia in their opening game on July 28.
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