Jaylen Brown Says Player Reps Push Athletes Away From Community Work

Jaylen Brown turned a community-work answer into a broader criticism of the people around NBA players.

Brown said he had announced a plan to build Black Wall Street and invest in his city, then followed through. He added that he wants other athletes to feel the same responsibility, but believes some representatives and advisers push players in the opposite direction.

"The people that are representing, or the people that are around some of our most instrumental players are steering them away," Brown said. "They're steering them away from being in their community, steering them away from helping the people in the situation they came from."

Brown argued that those advisers have little incentive to encourage local investment. He called it "super weird" and said it takes courage for players to go against that pressure.

He also pushed back on how his own efforts have been framed. Brown said people claimed he had "a disease" and called him "the smartest person in the room" simply for trying to uplift his community and respect where he came from.

The reaction was split. Many fans respected the work itself, while others said Brown's message can get buried by the way he presents it.