Celtics broadcaster Brian Scalabrine recently found himself in a bit of trouble in Boston.
During a live TV segment, Scalabrine hesitated while trying to clarify comments he made earlier about Jaylen Brown allegedly demanding a trade — the first such claim from someone connected to the Celtics since Brown’s surprising move to the 76ers this offseason.
“After listening to the 48 calls I received today, I realized that he technically didn’t demand to be traded,” Scalabrine stated on the Celtics pregame show Monday. “I kind of summed it all up, you know, simplifying things, but I think that’s where I got into hot water.”
Earlier on his SiriusXM Radio show, “The Starting Lineup,” Scalabrine had been more vocal. “From what I understand, he demanded a trade,” he said. “Not to the media, but to the organization.”
Things escalated further when Scalabrine suggested that Brown had been trying to recruit players for his next team. “My understanding is Jaylen Brown approached the organization with a list of demands,” he claimed. “It was pretty much like, ‘If you don’t do this, then trade me.’ He was even reaching out to teammates about Milwaukee, asking, ‘What do you think of Milwaukee? We should go there.’”
Brown was rumored to be part of a trade package for Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Bucks, but that deal fell through when the Heat acquired Giannis instead.
Now facing criticism, Scalabrine attempted to walk back his statements. “I really don’t know [what his demands were],” he said, struggling through his explanation. “Technically speaking, he didn’t demand a trade; it was more like, ‘do these things, or else.’”
Brown was eventually traded to the 76ers in exchange for Paul George and some draft picks.
Scalabrine, who works for NBC Sports Boston, which the Celtics partially own, didn’t confirm whether any of those 48 calls he received were from his bosses or Celtics executives.
“I had no idea this would blow up,” he remarked about the media fallout. “It’s something I had been thinking about for months, and in a weird way, it just came out.”
“I don’t fully grasp the entire situation,” he tried to explain.
Recently, Brown and Jayson Tatum have had a complicated exchange in the media. Tatum insisted that their relationship wasn’t tumultuous, saying, “It’s no Shaq and Kobe. There’s no beef.”
However, Brown seemed to have a different take, agreeing there was “no beef” but implying there might be some unresolved issues, mentioning something about “a little lamb chops and some gravy,” hinting that Tatum should “stay ready at all times.”
The Celtics are set to face the 76ers on November 10 in Philadelphia, marking the first meeting between Brown and Tatum since what many have characterized as a messy split.
