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Did Nike Keep Jaylen Brown Off the USA Olympic Team?

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As the final cuts for the US Men’s Olympic Basketball Team were made, the Boston Celtics’ 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown didn’t make the team. But an additional roster spot opened up when Kawhi Leonard withdrew from the team, and Brown thought he would be the one to replace Leonard. However, he wasn’t chosen, and instead, his teammate Derrick White was selected. When asked about Nike’s involvement in his roster snub, as covered by CLNS, Brown said, “I do, for sure. There be more stuff to come with that. As of now, I’m not going to comment on it.”

Brown doesn’t blame White, but he definitely believes Nike had something to do with it.

After the apparent snub, Brown posted some tweets that could be taken as a suspicion that Nike — one of the sponsors of Team USA — had used their influence to keep him from the team:

The following day he tweeted this, presumably “to” Nike.

It turns out Brown has a bit of a history of dissing Nike on Twitter. According to this piece,

The origin of Brown’s issues with Nike can be traced back to 2022, when his former teammate Kyrie Irving had become embroiled in a fresh controversy after sharing a link to a 2018 documentary that was widely condemned as antisemitic.

Irving lost his sponsorship with Nike and got a suspension from the Nets over his behavior. Brown would later tell the Boston Globe that he didn’t believe Irving was antisemitic, while also supporting his ex-teammate against the suspension and what he believed were unfair terms for reinstatement.

The article points to a 2022 post where the whole beef began: when Nike Chairman Phil Knight criticized Irving’s controversial actions, with Brown coming to his defense.

But was that all? The article also points out that Brown had a shoe deal with Nike’s biggest rival, adidas, but that deal ended in 2021.

Apr 19, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) reacts after making a three point basket against the Chicago Bulls during the fourth quarter at the TD Garden.

Since 2021, he’s been a “free agent” without a shoe deal, and he has worn Nikes since that time. He even wore them during the Celtics NBA Championship run last month. So he clearly doesn’t have enough of a beef with them to refuse to wear their shoes. But did those comments in 2022 — and any subsequent comment he’s made — provide any grist for Nike to possibly keep him off the team? Brown thinks so. And that’s what led to his recent cryptic tweets.

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) dribbles up court during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Friday, Jan. 15, 2021, in Boston.

Is there any truth to this? According to Grant Hill, Team USA Executive Director, Nike had nothing to do with the decision not to select Brown.

“And, so, whatever theories that might be out there, they’re just that. But that’s my responsibility. And it’s tough,” Hill said, per ESPN. “It’s tough to have conversations, tell people that they’re not on the team.

“I’m trying to win and I’m trying to put together the right pieces that fit and give us a chance to win.”

So was Brown’s “snub” really engineered by Nike, or as Hill said, he just doesn’t quite fit? We’ll probably never know for sure.

[My thanks to Paul for pointing me towards this topic!]

 
  
 
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Comments (22)

    He’s been wearing Nikes but have you seen photos of how he’s either doctored or obscured the Swoosh? Interesting stuff.

    Yes. While researching this piece, a google image search for “Jaylen Brown Shoes” yields a plethora of custom kicks he’s worn. And in many of those photos, there is no visible swoosh due to the images/messaging (although I’m sure sneakerheads will instantly recognize which ones are Nikes).

    link

    So, a suggestion of a conspiracy theory from someone whose beef with Nike is that they imposed consequences on Kyrie Irving for dabbling in antisemitism/conspiracy theories?

    He’s a black Israelite believer, so of course he supported Kyrie. I still don’t understand how Jaylen gets away with supporting those nutters, while Kyrie, deservedly, got punished for sharing a video promoting them. ‍♂️

    I don’t think Brown’s a Black Israelite. It’s been reported that he’s a practicing Muslim, and Islam is rather incongruous with the Black Israelite movement.

    link

    Jaylen Brown, for all his talents, does have a history of weird/esoteric beliefs, including defending Irving in the midst of his antisemitism controversy. I think someone in the Celtics organization sat him down about it because he’s stopped talking about/tweeting about it, but he does have this in history.

    Explain Anthony Edwards (Adidas’ biggest endorser), Steph Curry (UA’s biggest endorser), and Joel Embiid (Skechers’ biggest endorser). Not everything in the US has to be a conspiracy.

    Anthony Edwards, Steph Curry, and Joel Embiid never publicly called Nike out on a business decision. There’s no conspiracy. Businesses do this sort of thing.

    I’m not saying Brown is correct, but those examples you provided aren’t the same.

    In November 2022, Brown tweeted “Since when did Nike care about ethics?”
    I don’t recall the names you mentioned ever publicly instigating a rift with Nike.

    I don’t know, and honestly, I don’t care (I don’t have any interest in Olympic hoops) but with Nike anything is possible.

    This all feels like it’s blown up because of the history of the team photo(s?) where non-Nike guys had the makers mark obscured on a jersey with a towel or I think in one instance Coach K’s foot was positioned in a way to block a guy’s shoe?

    So, in other words, because businesses have historically intervened to protect their interests or diminish the presence of competitors, behavior that follows the same line of reasoning is “blown up”? You’re undermining your own point.

    I don’t think I’m making a point one way or the other. There does seems to be credulity or a history here in that Nike has meddled in the past (as minor of a way as doctoring a team portrait can be considered meddling). So maybe it’s much ado of nothing if Grant Hill is to be believed and he has total autonomy, or he’s covering for the fact that a Nike bird got in his ear and said “don’t bring that guy”.

    ***OLD MAN WARNING***
    Back when I went to school, wearing two different shoes got you laughed at.
    Now, it’s part of “fashion”.

    I mean, obviously Hill wouldn’t say it was true if it was, but the burden of proof is on Jaylen Brown here. He’s gonna need some kind of evidence beyond some beef two years ago, and it sure seems like there’s nothing linking the two.

    Somewhere in there is the truth. Where it is….I ain’t got no clue but this is the most attention I’ve paid to Nike/NBA/Olympics….and its interesting!

    It all comes down to avoiding controversy. Including Brown in the team will cost Nike money because of the controversy he raises with his ideas and standing by Irving back in the day. Brown is a typical pro athlete narcisist: he wants to be on the Olympic stage but on his own terms. MJ set the tone for that kind of behaviour with the Dream Team back in 92, happily fed by Nike ofcourse.
    Brown is a great basketball player who has proven himself last season. I would expect him to reflect on his off court comments and draw the conclusion: mmm, maybe that is why I did not get invited. But no.

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