Jaylen Brown recently spoke about the time when he secretly heard an NBA GM talking about his concerns about drafting Brown because he was too smart.
Jaylen Brown has taken some huge strides since coming into the NBA and he has established himself as one of the cornerstone pieces for the Boston Celtics. He has been good for over 20 points a game in each of his last 3 seasons and played a big role in helping the Celtics reach the NBA Finals this year.
Not many would have seen this coming though, as Brown was very raw offensively when he entered the league. It is a testament to his work ethic and the efforts of the Celtics player development staff, that he has become such a good offensive player.
Jaylen Brown Reveals That An NBA GM Was Worried He Might Be Too Smart
Because of those offensive limitations that we mentioned, it was quite a surprise to see the Celtics select Brown with the 3rd pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. The top 2 picks were pretty much set as Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram had separated themselves, but there was no clear consensus on who would go after them. Brown wasn't really someone touted for that spot and Celtics fans weren't too happy with the pick at the time. There were also some concerns that he might be too smart and Brown recently spoke about when he first heard that talk about him.
(starts at 3:32 mark):
"I remember it was actually a GM that said it. Funny story, I was on the phone, just they didn't know I was on the phone, so I was listening to them talk about me while I was on the phone. So I was getting all the information. That was one of the things that I remember the GM say, 'Well, we're worried that he is just too smart, he asks too many questions. And is his love for the game, is it there?' And luckily, the Celtics seen my talent, seen my character, and thought that it'd be a great fit for the organization. The rest was history."
That is quite a bizarre concern to have about a prospect, that he is just a bit too smart for them. The Celtics clearly weren't bothered by it and they got a great player thanks to it.
During this episode with GQ Sports, Brown also spoke about the 2018 playoffs where they faced off against the LeBron James-led Cavaliers in the Conference Finals. The Celtics would end up losing in 7 games and Brown stated that 2018 LeBron was the best version of the King he had seen in his time in the NBA.
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