The city of Boston and Celtics star wing Jaylen Brown did not exactly get off on the right foot when the team picked up the Cal alumnus third overall in the 2016 NBA draft, the crowd actually booing him when his name was announced. But since then, Boston and Brown have grown closer as they have gotten to know one another, and have found more than a modicum of success together.
Speaking at his second annual 7uice Foundation Gala at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Bally’s Brandon “Scoop B.” Robinson spoke with the Celtics star about how his rough start in the city was transformed by locals reaching out to him, and people doing good work in the community among several other topics.
“Where do I start?” said Brown in response to what he’s learned from being in Boston. “I am learning a lot, man.”
By now, if you are a fan of the Boston Celtics who uses Twitter more than rarely to keep up with what has been going on with your favorite NBA team, you have probably seen the graphic design work o… https://t.co/jyMlMJeTIG
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) December 7, 2022
“When I first got here I was a little intimidated and didn’t know a lot about Boston, and I had a lot of amazing families reach out to me — one family was the Wahlbergs,” shared the Georgia native.
“I was booed when I first got drafted here — a lot of people don’t talk about that — so when I first got here, you know, I didn’t feel welcomed. But it’s easy to look at the negativity and see the positivity that’s here in Boston. There’s a lot of great families, a lot of great people doing great work, and they’re here tonight at the annual gala and we’re celebrating that energy.”
“Sometimes, the negative outweighs the positive in society, so we’re going to flip it: the positive outweighs the negative,” added Brown.
Punched in the mouth early, Boston did not give up and took the fight to Toronto in the game’s third quarter after an unfriendly whistle and sloppy play put them on their heels in the first h… https://t.co/FS7FYfUWjN
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) December 7, 2022
The Cal alum’s early tenure in the city was anything but smooth with his playing time jumping up and down as did the team’s play over his first few years in the league.
But the star wing has maintained, as he likes to say, an even keel throughout for the most part, and even as Brown is hesitant to embrace his current success — he notes it “can flip just like that” — it has begun to pay dividends for his faith, hard work, and consistency.
It’s no coincidence this team has the most retired jersey numbers with 17 banners hanging alongside them as of Oct. 2022. https://t.co/dvwxoGx5aR
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) December 6, 2022
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