Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown criticized Stephen A. Smith and ESPN for their coverage of his recent comments, calling the network “unethical” as part of an appearance at the Sports Beach Cannes event in France on Wednesday, June 24.
Brown was a featured speaker on a panel called, “The Spiritual Game” during the annual conference, which bills itself as “a global platform connecting brands, athletes and marketers through lived experiences.” Footage of his comments, which come in the midst of speculation about his future with the Celtics after being included in Giannis Antetokounmpo trade talks, began to circulate on social media via an incomplete clip.
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The initial question, beginning of Brown’s answer and the end of his answer are not included. But based on what Brown can be heard saying, his response is related to the “favorite year” comments that raised eyebrows around the league at the end of Boston’s 2025-26 campaign in which Brown starred mostly without an injured Jayson Tatum.
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“The leader behind that was ESPN. ESPN is unethical, and Stephen A. Smith is the head face of that,” Brown said in the viral soundbite of his answer. “But, you know, the organization, the players, they were all in agreeance, they all knew what I meant by that. Our team was basically salary dumped. We lost a lot of players and for us to emerge and still be in the same position, we got to start to understand success doesn’t always mean …”
That’s where the clip of Brown’s remarks cuts off.
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Brown’s “favorite year” comments occurred on his Twitch stream after the Celtics were eliminated from the 2026 NBA playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers. Though Smith has been vocal in his criticism of Brown at times, he did not appear to have a problem with what Brown said during a segment on ESPN’s First Take. He called the reference “no big deal” and noted Brown is being “candid with how he feels.”
“I’m so proud of this group and the way we played,” Brown said on the Twitch stream last month. “I wish we trusted that style of play a little bit more, and playoffs kind of shifted our rotations and what we wanted to do. But I’m so proud, and it was my favorite year of my basketball career.”
Brown was a 2026 NBA MVP finalist after the best season of his career, but he’s now been dangled by the Celtics in prominent trade discussions twice in four years. He was also mentioned as a trade possibility in 2022 when Boston pursued Kevin Durant.
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Celtics General Manager Brad Stevens praised Brown when he met with reporters late Tuesday following the end of the 2026 NBA Draft first round, but he declined to discuss the Antetokounmpo negotiations.
Though Stevens noted he met with Brown multiple times this offseason, including before the Celtics star went on his current overseas trip, he hedged when addressing if Brown would be on the team’s next season.
“Jaylen Brown’s a big part of us,” Stevens said. “I’m never going to predict the future, but every indication, everything that I think about over the past few years has been building around those guys, right, and so obviously you never know. But at the same time, the one thing I want to make very clear is how valued he’s always been. He’s been amazing, he’s been an amazing teammate, a great person to be around.
“And whether that run ends 10 years from now when he retires or before,” Stevens continued, “there’s a lot to celebrate and we have a great relationship and an open relationship, where we talk about everything. But I don’t want to predict the future. But I look at it as this is our team.”
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Celtics’ Jaylen Brown blasts Stephen A. Smith, ESPN as ‘unethical’
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