Three-weeks ago Stephen A. Smith sat on ESPN’s First Take sharing fake news on Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown.
In the middle of the show, Smith pulls out his phone saying he’s just received a text message from an NBA source reading that people don’t like Brown because he has a big ego and that’s why he’s not marketable.
Fast forward a few weeks, Celtics are surging through the playoffs, led by Brown, who often looked like the best player on the floor for the Celtics. Brown won Eastern Conference Finals MVP and he’s in a good position to win Finals MVP as he continues to play well on both ends of the court.
That said, Smith takes this as an opportunity to walk back his previous comments that Brown isn’t marketable by expressing many qualities to Brown that make him the most marketable person in the world.
“Brilliant young man. Superstar caliber kind of talent. Big time talent. $300 million player. Model citizen. Doesn’t get into any trouble whatsoever. He’s an activist at heart. Politically consciousness. Speaks his mind. Believes in speaking truth to power. And I think from what I’ve been told, he’s also a Muslim. And I bring all of that up because when we talk about marketability, you think about all of the kinds of things that should say, ‘this guy should be every bit as marketable as anybody in the NBA.’”
Everything that Brown is made of is exactly why he should be more marketable than he is, but for Smith to use the same qualities that he says make Brown unmarketable and spin it to now be a good thing is truly lazy and awful reporting.
For all of us in Boston and fans of the Celtics who’ve watched Brown develop over the last eight-years know how special of a talent he is and what he brings to the table for Boston on and off the court.
He’s special and we’re lucky to have him.
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