Count Bill Simmons among the Boston Celtics fans who were stunned by how the little the team got when they traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. But what Simmons was going through at the moment the transaction went down made for a one-of-a-kind reaction.
Simmons, a longtime Boston sports supporter, gave his first thoughts on the move during a live recording of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” on Thursday, July 2, and revealed that he found out Brown had been traded from his wife after finishing a colonoscopy at a medical facility around 3:20 p.m. PT. She then told Simmons the details, which featured the Celtics receiving Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks from the Sixers.
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“I’m not really coherent … and I’m like, I think I’m dead. I think I died,” Simmons said on the broadcast. “The anesthesia killed me and now I’m a dead person.”
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NBA commissioner Adam Silver poses with 2026 draft prospects before the NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
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Every player selected in the NBA Draft 2026 first round in photos
NBA commissioner Adam Silver poses with 2026 draft prospects before the NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
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Every player selected in the NBA Draft 2026 first round in photos
NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with AJ Dybantsa after h is drafted first overall by the Washington Wizards during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City.
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Every player selected in the NBA Draft 2026 first round in photos
NBA commissioner Adam Silver shakes hands with AJ Dybantsa after he is drafted first overall by the Washington Wizards during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City.
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Every player selected in the NBA Draft 2026 first round in photos
AJ Dybantsa is drafted first overall by the Washington Wizards during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City.
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Every player selected in the NBA Draft 2026 first round in photos
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks during Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 23, 2026 in New York City.
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Every player selected in the NBA Draft 2026 first round in photos
Cameron Boozer awaits the start of Round One.
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Every player selected in the NBA Draft 2026 first round in photos
Caleb Wilson poses with family prior to Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
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Every player selected in the NBA Draft 2026 first round in photos
Chris Cenac Jr. poses for a photo with Kelvin Sampson prior to Round One.
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Every player selected in the NBA Draft 2026 first round in photos
Mikel Brown Jr. awaits the start of Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft at Barclays Center.
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Every player selected in the NBA Draft 2026 first round in photos
An interior view of Barclays Center prior to Round One of the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23, 2026 in New York City.
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Simmons had advocated on social media in recent days for the Celtics and Brown to attempt a reconciliation after Brown’s name surfaced in trade talks this offseason. Brown was initially made available when Boston attempted to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Simmons said later in the podcast that he was hopeful the less-than-expected haul from the Brown trade would be a precursor to another potential trade for the Celtics. The move has been met with initial skepticism given Brown’s outsized role this past season and George’s sketchy health history.
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Brown played 10 seasons for the Celtics and won NBA Finals MVP when they won a championship in 2024. He has three seasons remaining on the 5-year, $304-million contract he signed in 2023.
Brown had the best regular season of his NBA career in 2025-26, earning second team all-NBA honors while leading Boston to the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bill Simmons heard Jaylen Brown trade after anesthesia, thought ‘I died’
