Jaylen Brown Says LeBron James Is Just 'Another Guy'

Before appearing on The Howard Stern Show for the first time, comedian and podcaster Marc Maron came to a profound realization that immediately calmed down his nerves and anxiety about going on his idol’s show. Watching Stern eat cantaloupe during a break, Maron realized that the famous radio personality was not a mythic creature. He was just a guy. A guy eating cantaloupe. Ingraining this into his mind, Maron was able to go on the show and be himself.

Perhaps this type of strategy is exactly what Celtics rookie Jaylen Brown is utilizing before Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. At least based on his comments about LeBron James, that appears to be the case.

Talking with CSN-New England, Brown said that he wasn’t afraid to go up against and guard James. Brown even said that James was just “another guy.”

Jaylen Brown is NOT afraid of LeBron James. Hear the full interview on Celtics Pregame Live at 7:30 on @CSNNE #CelticsTalk pic.twitter.com/U5TgwktZe4

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 19, 2017

“LeBron’s a good player, but I look at him as just another guy to me,” Brown said. “So I gotta come out and compete just like he’s got to come out and compete. I gotta tie my shoes just like he ties his shoes. There’s bigger threats in my neighborhood than LeBron James, so I have no fear — I have no fear whatsoever of LeBron.”

On the surface this is the right mentality for Brown to have, especially since he was one of the better Celtics defenders on James in Game 1. Plus, having that mindset should allow Brown to play with a lot of confidence and not be nervous when facing up against James. Confidence goes a long way, and clearly Brown has a lot of it.

James, however, dominated the Celtics, including Brown, and finished Game 1 with 38 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. He was quite literally disrespecting the Celtics at times, and Boston had no answer for him. Brown was just the best at making it look difficult for James as the Cavs superstar still got his and led Cleveland to victory.

Brown is, of course, entitled to think how he wants. And being so confident should help him become a better player in the future. But as history has shown, James is not just another guy; he is legitimately one of the best players to ever play in the NBA and is probably the greatest right now.

And while Brown is right that he shouldn’t be afraid of James because, after all, he is human, the Celtics rookie should not make the mistake of underestimating the Cavs superstar. Just ask the Golden State Warriors how that turned out.

Precocious Celtics Rookie Jaylen Brown Says LeBron James Is Just ‘Another Guy’