Jaylen Brown is one of the smartest players in the NBA (his intelligence was even used as a knock against him coming into the league), and the second year man out of Cal is not afraid to speak his mind.
With the Celtics over in London to play the Sixers later this week, Brown sat down with The Guardian for a fascinating interview that detailed his struggle with the death of his friend, racism in America, and the notion that athletes are dumb. The Guardian’s Donald McRae is clearly impressed by Brown in the piece, and you can see why when the topic of race comes up. He was candid in his retelling of how he dealt with racism growing up and how it has changed over the years.
“Racism definitely still exists in the South,” Brown told The Guardian about growing up in Marietta, Georgia. “I’ve experienced it through basketball. I’ve had people call me the n-word. I’ve had people come to basketball games dressed in monkey suits with a jersey on. I’ve had people paint their face black at my games. I’ve had people throw bananas in the stands.”
Today, Brown says the racism he sees is more subtle, but that Donald Trump has made it easier for racists to speak out.
“Racism definitely exists across America today. Of course it’s changed a lot – and my opportunities are far greater than they would have been 50 years ago. So some people think racism has dissipated or no longer exists. But it’s hidden in more strategic places. You have less people coming to your face and telling you certain things. But [Donald] Trump has made it a lot more acceptable for racists to speak their minds.”
Brown admits that, when he was 14, “It wounds you. But when I got older and went to the University of California [Berkeley] I learnt about a more subtle racism and how it filters across our education system through tracking, hidden curriculums, social stratification and things I had no idea of before. I was really emotional – because one of the most subtle but aggressive ways racism exists is through our education system.”
And he knows he’s found success through basketball, but he worries about others that don’t have the social mobility that he does.
There’s so much in the interview that’s worth mentioning. Brown said he knew NFL teams would try to blackball Colin Kaepernick for silently protesting police brutality against people of color. He called Donald Trump “unfit to lead” after demanding a thank you from LaVar Ball.
It’s clear that Brown is paying attention to the issues facing the country and American society, and he wants people to know other NBA players are, too.
“I disagree that an athlete can’t be intelligent,” Brown said. “Some people think that, in basketball, we have a bunch of masculine adults who don’t know how to control themselves. They’re feeble-minded and can’t engage or articulate ideas. That’s a narrative they keep trying to paint. We’re trying to change it because that statement definitely has a racist undertone.”
Brown is just one of many NBA players who have spoken out politically or expressed their concern over social issues. The charge has been led by stars like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and others, and the NBA is a league that, for the most part, encourages it. It’s good to see that Brown is aware of the power of his voice and platform and that this younger generation of NBA players is willing to use it.
