Boston Celtics
“This is not me having a conversation. I haven’t talked to Jaylen at all about this.”
Tracy McGrady said Jaylen Brown didn’t tell him he was frustrated with the Celtics organization. AP Photo/Matt Slocum
There’s been no shortage of drama surrounding Jaylen Brown following the Boston Celtics’ Game 7 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers last week.
Brown’s friend and mentor Tracy McGrady stirred the pot when he claimed the Celtics star held deep frustration with the organization. These comments prompted Brown to clear the air on a Twitch stream and state this past season was his ‘favorite’ and he would stay with Boston for another decade if it were up to him.
“I think his frustration lies deeply within the organization and other things that we don’t have the details to,” McGrady said. “There’s just been a lot of stuff that I’ve been hearing going on with the Boston organization with J.B.”
Many felt McGrady insinuated Brown had spoken with him personally about the supposed frustration.
McGrady denied having any recent discussions with Brown since the Celtics’ season came to a disappointing end. He said he was taking note of what Brown had said to reporters and on social media, and speaking as an analyst.
“I haven’t talked to Jaylen at all about this,” McGrady said on NBC’s “NBA Showtime” Saturday. “I just know my friend, and when I see certain things, I see frustration. After a 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, all this stuff is happening and I’m seeing what I’m seeing because I have a relationship with him.
“I’m part of the media, so if I see something, I’m gonna speak about it. I think they haven’t really separated my friendship versus me being an analyst and talking about this. It was nothing that we had a conversation about. It’s the things that I’m seeing in my friend and what he’s displaying in front of the media.”
McGrady referenced Brown telling the media after Game 7 he only found out 45 minutes before tipoff that Tatum wasn’t going to play. He also alluded to Brown calling out officiating on Twitch following the loss, which landed him a $50K fine by the NBA.
“Because I have a relationship with Jaylen, I know him and I know how he acts, right? So, watching this series, how it unfolds, watching the behavior change and uncharacteristics of who I know Jaylen is, so it looked like he was frustrated to me,” McGrady said. “When you go into the media and you say some of the things that he said, when you go on his streaming platform and say some of those things – this is me having a relationship with him. This is not me having a conversation.”
McGrady, a Basketball Hall of Famer, has a friendship with Brown that goes way back. The pair spoke before Brown was drafted to discuss his options and have remained close as Brown’s career has gone on. McGrady even talked Brown out of asking for a trade from the Celtics in 2019.
Brown has repeatedly said publicly he is happy in Boston.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
