Jaylen Brown just became the first active NBA player to ever participate in a BIG3 contest this Saturday, as he travelled to London to be a part of their All-Star activities. The Celtics star not only decided to join Team Big against Team 3, he also was played in a charity match for London Youth.
Rapper Ice Cube, who happens to be the founder of BIG3, showered the Boston guard in praise, going all the way to call him his “hero” on social media as soon as he found out that the player who just signed to highest deal in NBA history will be supporting his event.
“He’s making a humongous statement by being the first current NBA player to play in a BIG3 game,” the artist posted. “By suiting up for our All Star game tomorrow, he’s doing everything in his power to help the league succeed. Salute. Forever grateful.”
Jaylen Brown did a HUGE thing becoming the first active NBA player to suit up for the @thebig3 👏🏾 @FCHWPO said he did it to give back and support the league 💪🏾 @icecube said Brown was his hero because of his gesture!
Gotta respect REAL activism! 🧡
📸: @reclusemedia pic.twitter.com/KBMAVGQzXy
— The Hooper’s Voice | Moe (@thehoopersvoice) August 27, 2023
By the end of the match, Jaylen dropped in 9 points, won 5 rebounds and gave out 2 assists, but his team still fell to the opposition 51-42. Once the game was done, Brown told the press why he decided to support these activities.
“Having some fun for charity, giving back to the community, and supporting,” he said. “It’s amazing being in this environment. Shout out to London, shout out to the O2 [Arena]. Excited to give back to charity, excited to be a part of this, and I appreciate you, Ice Cube.”
Brown will join the Celtics for training camp on October 3rd, as they prepare to face one of their all-time rivals three weeks later, the New York Knicks.
The star guard hopes to ‘attack the wealth disparity’ in Boston after signing historic NBA contract
Right after Brown signed the contract extension, he received the media in a press conference and took the opportunity to express his desire to “attack the wealth disparity” in Boston with his fortune.
“I want to launch a project to bring Black Wall Street here to Boston. I want to attack the wealth disparity here,” he said when asked about what he plans to do with his “generational wealth.”
“I think there’s analytics that support that stimulating the wealth gap could actually be something that could be betterment for the entire economy,” he added. “With the biggest financial deal in NBA history, it makes sense to talk about, one, your investment in community, but two also, the wealth disparity here that nobody wants to talk about. It’s top five in the U.S. It’s something that we can all improve on. It’s unsettling.”
Take a look at some of the highlights from this weekend’s BIG3 action:
On the other hand, many experts believe he’s become one of the most overpaid players in the NBA, just like insider Zach Buckley expressed recently. “His average salary for the final three seasons of his pact sits north of $61 million. That kind of coin should only be attached to a no-brainer superstar. Brown just hasn’t hit that tier.
“So, he probably needs to elevate his game in order to justify his pay rate. Yet, even maintaining his present level could be tricky as he enters his 30s for the final two seasons of his new deal. Boston may not feel buyer’s remorse, but the two-way swingman could still rank among the league’s most overpaid players in three years,” Buckley said.
