“He’s Got My Respect”: Jaylen Brown Clears Up Beef Rumors With Cooper Flagg

NBA players often develop rivalries in moments one wouldn’t expect, stemming from on-court incidents that neither party really intends to escalate. But such is the nature of competition. Just take Jaylen Brown’s dig at Cooper Flagg last week, for example.

During the Celtics’ 110-100 win over the Mavericks on Wednesday 4th Feb, Brown was visibly frustrated with the calls going in favor of Flagg. He did not like the fact that the rookie got to the line 10 times in the game.

Flagg scored 36, which went in vain as the Mavs lost. But an exasperated Brown still barked mid game, “He’s a rookie and he’s got 10 free throws.” The Celtics star, seeing the backlash online and rumors of an emerging “beef”, decided to since clear the air.

“My boy is him. He’s got my respect for sure. He scored 30 on us on all floaters,” Brown said on one of his streams. He also praised the teenager for being one of the best in league history for his age.

“For a 19 year old? Spectacular,” claimed Brown. And there’s no lie in that. Flagg got off to a slow start in the 25/26 season after being drafted #1 overall in the 2025 draft, but he’s since become a phenom, averaging around 21 points a game, with multiple 30 points games in recent weeks in particular.

Flagg is also the favorite to win Rookie of the Year, which doesn’t come as a surprise by any means. What’s even more staggering is the fact that he is adapting well to the point guard position, which many felt would be a limitation.

Brown, like the other established stars and veterans, may lose their head mid game with Flagg gets to the line and outperforms them on the big stage. But looking back, they’ll all be in awe.