Jaylen Brown continues to show impressive leadership both on and off the court.
The Boston Celtics star took action by peacefully protesting the death of George Floyd back in May, and he continues to speak out against racial injustice in the United States following this week's shooting of Jacob Blake by a Wisconsin police officer.
While it was the Milwaukee Bucks who sparked a league-wide boycott of playoff games to protest racial injustice and police brutality, it was the Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors who got the ball rolling in that direction.
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Stephanie Ready of TNT and NBATV joined NBC Sports Boston's "Bigger Than Basketball" special Thursday night to explain how the C's and Raptors spoke the boycotts into existence, and how Brown has been one of the leaders inside the Orlando bubble.
"It was the Celtics and the Raptors that had that initial first team meeting, joint team meeting, when they were discussing possibly sitting out the game that was scheduled for Thursday night," Ready said. "That was what got it out in the atmosphere, and they kind of led the way. In particular, Jaylen Brown has been very vocal in these player meetings. And I've talked to a few players who have said that he has been among the leaders.
"The sentiment overall with these players is they want to get back to action. They want to play games, but they also want their messages heard. And I think that's where it gets confusing for them. They're torn because they want to play, but they don't want their play to become a distraction and detract from their messaging. So I think they're working hard to figure out how to accomplish both goals."
Brown being a leader in the NBA's latest action against social injustice comes as no surprise. He has eloquently discussed the country's ongoing issues with racial inequality and police brutality while in the Orlando bubble, even before Blake's shooting.
Forsberg: Jaylen's voice continues to be heard loud and clear
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We're likely to hear a lot more from Brown on these issues in the coming days, weeks, and even years. The 23-year-old has made it clear he will not "shut up and dribble" and instead will face these important topics head-on.
The C's-Raptors Game 1 matchup, of course, has been postponed. The game reportedly will take place on Sunday