Jaylen Brown: Sport is extremely political

Sometimes seen as controversial with his statements, Jaylen Brown remains a curious mind, questioning many things. In a show co-produced by the players’ union, the Celtics small forward shared his views on the societal role of sport, particularly basketball. To him, it is unrealistic to think that sports can be completely separate from politics.

“For me, the biggest misconception is to believe that sports and politics do not coexist. I think most people say: ‘Oh, it’s just sports. It’s not connected to anything. It’s just entertainment.’ That is so wrong. So wrong,” he explains to Andre Iguodala and Grant Williams.

“I have been in a million meetings. We’re not supposed to talk about the content of those meetings or the topics discussed, but I will say that our partners in the league have a huge influence on decision-making, or on the pressure that the NBA puts on players. Because there’s a lot of money at stake.”

Feeling like a pawn

Jaylen Brown believes that players operate within a system that largely eludes them, and where economic interests can weigh heavily.

“Sometimes, these partners have political agendas and biases, based on the state of the world and what’s happening. And it’s imposed on us, for us to either endorse it or not,” he continues. “Sport is extremely political, whether people realize it or not. Our sport, in a way, is a form of entertainment, and sometimes, it almost serves as a distraction from everything that’s happening around us in our country.”

This leads Jaylen Brown to acknowledge that he himself sometimes feels like he’s being manipulated.

“Sometimes, I wake up feeling like a pawn, because I’m just a way to divert attention from what’s really happening (in the world),” he laments. “There are conversations that we’re not having but should be having right now. But one time, it’s the Super Bowl, another time, it’s the All-Star Game. We use that, and people don’t talk about what’s happening in Minnesota, or the ICE, or what’s happening in the world. Yet, it’s a broader debate that should be had.”

… (Stats continue for various seasons)

How to read the stats? GP = games played; Min = Minutes; FG = Field Goals made / attempted; 3P = 3-pointers made / attempted; FT = Free throws made / attempted; Off = Offensive rebounds; Def = Defensive rebounds; Tot = Total rebounds; Ast = Assists; PF = Personal fouls; Stl = Steals; TO = Turnovers; Blk = Blocks; Pts = Points.

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