Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown said he called teammate Derrick White to make sure there was no “confusion” after he criticized the United States Basketball Association for not offering him a spot on the U.S. national team.
Brown, who was named Finals MVP last month with the champion Boston Celtics, was left out of the national team’s starting lineup, with White again being considered as a replacement for Kawhi Leonard.
“I called Derrick right away,” Brown told reporters at the Celtics-Lakers summer league game in Las Vegas on Monday. “Just to make sure there was no confusion. I told him my love for you and everything. He knew that and he did. You don’t have to make everything public. Me and D. White are good friends.”
Brown made a series of cryptic social media posts after White’s selection was announced, including one aimed at Nike, suggesting that the shoe company was to blame for White missing phone calls.
Nike is a sponsor of USA basketball. Brown does not have a shoe deal; his contract with Adidas ended three years ago.
“I certainly do,” Brown said Monday when asked if he thought Nike was to blame for not making the U.S. national team. “There will be more to come, but I’m not going to comment on that right now.”
U.S. team director Grant Hill said last week it was a difficult choice but that White was the right choice for the team, and denied that Nike had any input into the decision.
