Having led the Boston Celtics to victory in the 2024 NBA Championship, Jaylen Brown can finally feel that he has proven himself. The Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games, but their path through the Eastern Conference was marked by relative ease and dominance.
The star forward validated the five-year maximum contract he signed with Boston the previous offseason by earning both Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP honors. Many argue that Brown had an exceptional year; however, he was overlooked for the Team USA roster, which instead featured his teammates Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday.
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The selection of Derrick White to replace the injured Kawhi Leonard only added to the confusion surrounding Brown’s exclusion. Many, including NFL legend Terrell Owens, expressed bewilderment at the decision, with Owens stating his desire to understand the reasoning behind it in a Yahoo Sports interview.
“I have no idea, I want to get to the bottom of it just like he does,” Owens remarked. “How can you be the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and the Finals MVP and then just leapfrogged over? No disrespect to a teammate Derrick White, but how do you leapfrog over him? Yeah, I don’t understand.”
When comparing the two players, Brown appears to have the edge in talent over White and seems to be a fitting replacement for Leonard given his size and skill set.
Yet, some argue that White’s ability to thrive without needing the ball might make him a more suitable choice for the current Team USA lineup. In any case, Team USA’s roster is poised for success as they aim to reclaim the gold medal.
