Has Jaylen Brown been treated ‘UNFAIRLY’?! Stephen A.'s honest verdict | First Take

Now let's head to Philadelphia, where one of the NBA's biggest off -season blockbuster deals became a reality.The 76ers introduced Jalen Brown after acquiring the former Finals MVP from the Celtics in a deal that reshapes the Eastern Conference.While his focus is now on leading a new team, Brown also reflected on the relationship he built with his former teammate Jason Tatum.

We won a championship together.So anybody that you win a championship, you would think that's what a brotherhood or a lifelong legacy would entail.Obviously, there's ups and downs in any type of relationship, for sure.But on my end, it's nothing but respect.Besides when he plays the Sixers, I hope he does well.But other than that, everything for me is just based on respect.

Have you guys been able to talk?Not really.

Let's welcome in Joe Fortenbaugh.Joe, nice to see you.The purple, the pink polka dots.You're balancing the Steve and A situation out here.

Big opportunity here.

Yeah.

I haven't gone head to head in a while.Big opportunity.So we're going to ease into the hot tub.

Y 'all are complimenting each other.I'm into it.Now, Steve and A, how do you feel about these two former teammates not really speaking since the trade?

First of all, I think they're winners.Jalen Brown's case, six conference finals, Eastern Conference MVP, Eastern Conference Finals MVP, NBA Finals MVP, champion.And by the way, since he entered the league in 2016, regular season and playoffs, nobody has won more games than this 523.Jalen Brown's a winner.Let's get that out the way.So is Jason Taylor, neither of whom have even reached 30 yet, believe it or not.

When I think about Jalen Brown, I think what people are missing is that I don't believe there's any animosity with the two.I think Jalen Brown highlighted it weeks ago in terms of articulating the difference in their personalities.He's more of an activist.He's the kind of guy that's going to be out in the community and trying to make things happen to provoke change because he's a very conscientious observer.Jason Tatum is relatively quiet.Family man goes about the business of doing his work, his job is exceptionally as he does.

And he moves on where I think the resentment comes in.It's not towards Jason Tatum.It's towards a system.That doesn't appreciate what Jalen Brown brings to the table because of the attributes.I just articulated that he has they don't want to necessarily deal with them.Now.

I got in trouble because oh my God, you'll want to call it trouble.You know, I don't call it trouble when everybody come to me and because I'm pointing out.This is how, this is how they felt about him.And then I get this state, your source and all of this nonsense.No bro.I'm trying to help you.

I'm trying to let you know, this is what they say behind your back.They're wrong.You should have been on team USA.You should be seen as a number one.You're worthy of your $304 million contract and you're going to get more down the line and damage.You deserve it.

but I tried to highlight the difference.So I had my research and look up something to crystallize my point.And you two brothers, and of course you Jess, will appreciate where I'm going.Endorsement deals.Marketability that we're talking about.Current endorsement deal.

Jaylen Brown has eight.Could be wrong, this is what the statistics, this is what the research shows.Jason Tatum has 27.Estimated off -court earnings.Jalen Brown at 8 million.This is according to Forbes in May of this year.

I don't...I'm just giving facts according to them.Estimated off -court earnings...4 million.Jason Tatum, 28 million.Tatum's endorsement deals have included Amica or Amica, I don't know, A -M -I -C -A, I forgot the pronunciations.

Amica or Amica?Amica, I'm sorry.Amica, AT &T, Coach, Gatorade, Jordan Brand, Subway, That's that alone, of course, spread across footwear, insurance, telecom, and now personal care.That's what I'm talking about.I looked it up.I looked it up.

Tatum's 28 million in estimated off -court earnings over the past year plus, ranked sixth in the NBA, behind LeBron James at $85 million, Steph Curry at $65 million, Kevin Durant at $49 million, Giannis at $45 million, and Shea Butters, Shea Gildress Alexander at $30 million.And then there's Tatum.Brown is nowhere in this vicinity.His talent doesn't say that should happen.His leadership doesn't say that should happen.His greatness doesn't say that should happen.

He led Boston without Tatum to a 56 -26 record and a number two seed in the Eastern Conference this year.

Yet he got bounced out in the first round after giving up a 3 -1 lead, which he has to own.And you can't go out on Twitch and say this was your favorite season when you're two years removed from winning a championship.But that's the reality.The point that I'm trying to make is none of it's fair.None of it seems right.But I just gave y 'all reality.

Was I lying?No, I don't think you're lying.

No, no, no.I don't think you're lying, Steve.A lot to unpack there, by the way.Yeah, there is a lot.But what you're talking about, the disparity with the endorsement deals and the off -court earnings, to me, that's just salt in the wound.Because clearly there is

an issue between the two.And I will credit Jalen Brown for taking the high road and not wanting to focus on that and focusing on what's in front of him, which is the opportunity.in Philadelphia because that's the only way he's going to change the perception about who he is. I'm about to break it down for you, my brother, if you let me go.I gave you four minutes to go on a soliloquy.Let somebody else talk.A couple of weeks ago, we saw Jason Tatum at his youth basketball camp talking about not wanting to be in a room where other players or other people think they're the smartest ones in the room.

And I connected that as a veiled shot to Jalen Brown because those were the same sentiments that were being reported about how people in the Boston Celtics organization felt about Jalen Brown.You go back a couple of months ago, Jalen Brown said on a podcast that last year was his favorite season playing for the Boston Celtics, not the year they won a championship.The thing that we noticed about last season?Most of the year was without Jason Tatum.So there is some tension in the working relationship.Now, it wasn't an impediment to them winning a championship.

But looking back on it, retroactively, I think it's fair to question whether or not the only reason why they won one and only one is because of the tension between those two.We said their talent dictated that these guys should be in the championship rounds and that the Boston Celtics should keep them together.And now we're sitting here today with a divorce after they have proof of concept that it works.And now with Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown, you're talking about the organization decidedly being worse by trading Jaylen Brown for a negative contract in Paul George and using money as the excuse when over the next two years, the money is roughly the same in terms of the commitment to those players.I just don't get it.You handed Jalen Brown to a rival in your division, in your conference, and oh, by the way, de facto, you handed them LeBron James too, who cited Jalen Brown's presence as a part of the reason why he decided to go to Philly.

If you're Jason Tatum, if you're the Boston Celtics, to let the tension between that relationship between teammates lead to this?is an absolute failure and it's franchise malpractice.

It didn't seem like there was a lot in the comments, but I agree with you because you've been in front of a microphone after games, press conferences plenty of times.So have you, you know what it's like.There are layup situations when you can just say the most obvious, easy things to get rid of the media.Love my time in Boston.Love Jason Tatum like a brother.We haven't spoken much since then, but he's been on vacation.

I've been on vacation.We're going to catch up.There's nothing there.There were lots of opportunities to make that easy.He didn't choose that.He chose to get a comment in here, a comment in there, subtle, and you know what, if that's the way he feels based on everything you laid out, nothing wrong with it.

But to sit back and look at all this in a totality, you can understand why Boston's moving on.Because at times, it looks like he's saying the right thing, but there's always just one or two comments that let you know there was a problem there.It feels like jealousy.It feels like everything you laid out was jealousy.And that last year, he did enough to become the one.And if they were gonna part ways with someone, why not take the guy who was hurt all year?

The guy who was coming off the serious injury, move him, keep me.And when they went the other way, he's talking about throwing his phone off the wall when they made that trade.We all knew that trade was coming.Why are you throwing your phone off the wall?Either you hate the idea of going to Philly or you hate the idea that they moved on from you rather than Tatum.

May I speak?Because you were speaking like it's your solilical show.It's your turn now.I just want to make sure Big Boy's giving me permission.Here's the deal.This is important to bring up.

This is important to bring up.Jalen Brown.explicitly rejected the model that Jason Tatum followed when it came to marketability, traditional sign -and -shoot commercials and stuff like that, that kind of pathway.He specifically rejected that, calling legacy brand offers, quote, not for him.And instead, he built 741, requiring brands to also engage his activism and off -court platform as part of any deal, a demand he says most aren't willing to meet.That's what Jalen Brown has.

In other words, I don't want just an endorsement deal with you.You know about my activism.You know about my off -court agenda.I need you to facilitate Making sure that happens as well.And most brands didn't want to associate with that.You speak to some agents and others.

They're like, Hey, what'd he say?He's the smartest dude in the room.He knows more than us.We trying to get him money.He don't care about that.He wants X, Y, Z. I don't see anything wrong with it.

My attitude is if you know what it's costing you and you're willing for it to cost you that, then cool.Just don't complain about it because you know what comes with it.You either accept it or you don't.Having said all of that, the fact that the Celtics traded him to the Sixers, is what I think really stands out.It's within the division, for crying out loud, let alone the same kind.You're gonna meet them a lot.

And to me, that is the gravest insult of it all, when you have somebody the talent of a Jalen Brown.He's supposed to be shipped somewhere else.You understand what I'm saying?So, I mean, if it's within the conference, make sure you send them to Charlotte or something like that.You can't send them to the Philadelphia 76ers where Tyrese Maxey and Edgecombe are already.It's before you got LeBron James.

You can't do that.And the fact that they sent him within the conference, they better have a positionbecause let me tell you something even with potential acrimony or whatever it is that you want to call it.They were still winning games.They were still champion.Yes, you still have to deal with them.

I wouldn't give a damn about their feelings, especially with their level of production.I'd be like man, y 'all better go to y 'all better figure that out.Y 'all better go and hang out at a spot get some dinner or something figure it out because y 'all ain't going no damn place.