Jaylen Brown seemed uninterested in discussing the drama surrounding the Olympic roster on the big night of the ESPY Awards.
The Celtics star, who won the Most Outstanding Championship Performance award at the 2024 NBA Finals, said he had “no comment” about being left off the U.S. team roster for the Paris Olympics, which begins July 26.
“How are you feeling about Team USA right now?” Cam Newton asked Brown on the red carpet before the show. “Why aren’t you there? Do you have any feelings?”
“I don’t really have any comment to make, you know?” Brown said matter-of-factly. “I’m right here and I’ve got a great date right there.”
After the Celtics defeated the Mavericks in five games to win the franchise’s 18th championship, Brown, who was named NBA Finals MVP, turned to his right to see a man holding the NBA Finals trophy.
“Oh come on, he’s trying to fend off the ladies and gentlemen, but she’s a step dancer!” Newton joked.
The former NFL quarterback said this in reference to Gondrezick, who Brown dated.
The two made their red carpet debut at the 2024 ESPY Awards after the former Sky guard cheered on Brown at the Celtics’ victory parade.
Gondrezick was fired by Sky last month. She sat with Brown’s mother on the show. It was held at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.
Brown made headlines earlier this week with a cryptic social media post after teammate, guard Derrick White, was named to the Olympic team as Kawhi Leonard’s replacement.
The U.S. team announced on Wednesday that the Clippers have decided it is in Leonard’s best interest to spend the rest of the summer preparing for the upcoming NBA season.
“We felt we had to change direction.” “We are thrilled to welcome this new addition to the U.S. Basketball Team,” said Grant Hill, managing director of the U.S. Men’s National Basketball Team.“I’m not going to go into detail about how we arrived at the decision, but we just felt it was in our best interest and in the best interest of the Clippers and Kawhi to move in a different direction.”
Celtics star Jayson Tatum, who is on the U.S. 2024 team for the Paris Games, answered questions from reporters about Brown at the U.S. national team training camp in Las Vegas.
“Ah, no way” Tatum says When asked if he had spoken with Brown amid the roster changes.
“Yeah, yeah,” Tatum said when asked if it was “tough” not to have Brown on the Olympic roster, “because there’s a lot of guys that could fill that last spot. So it’s tough.”
The Paris 2024 Olympic Team members include LeBron James (Lakers), Kevin Durant (Suns), Stephen Curry (Warriors), Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers) and July Holiday (Boston Celtics).
The Paris 2024 Games will run from July 26 to August 11.
The U.S. men’s team will open its group stage match against Serbia on July 28.
