Jaylen Brown Fires Back at Grant Hill For Calling Him a Conspiracy Theorist

After being snubbed from the US Men’s Basketball Team for the Olympics, reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown claimed his history with Nike, the team’s apparel sponsor, played a role in his surprise exclusion. Team USA’s managing director Grant Hill dismissed the accusation and called it a conspiracy theory, which irked the Celtics superstar.

On X, the three-time All-Star reminded Hill that he’s been the vice president of the National Basketball Player’s Association and is well aware of the politics that play out behind the scenes. He wrote,

“Grant Hill calling me a conspiracy theorist is disappointing I’ve been a VP since I was 21 years old I have a great understanding”

grant hill calling me a conspiracy theorist is disappointing I’ve been a VP since I was 21 years old I have a great understanding

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) July 28, 2024

In 2022, Brown called out Nike after the company terminated their association with Kyrie Irving for sharing a film with an anti-semitic message on Instagram. The brand’s founder, Phil Knight, slammed the veteran guard, claiming he crossed the line.

Since when did Nike care about ethics? https://t.co/f8t2eY994v

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) November 10, 2022

That did not sit well with the Celtics forward, who essentially accused Nike of being an unethical company. He now believes publicly criticizing the brand has affected his prospects of playing for Team USA. However, Hill explained why Brown was left off the team.

Hill explains the reason behind picking Derrick White over Jaylen Brown

After Kawhi Leonard withdrew his participation from the Olympics, Team USA shockingly overlooked Brown, a like-for-like replacement positionally, and instead picked his Celtics teammate Derrick White.

This fortified the forward’s belief that Nike was ensuring he stayed off the team. But in a conversation with Rachel Nichols, Hill explained the logic behind replacing the Clippers superstar with a role player. On Undisputed, the reporter revealed, 

“He made the point, the little things that Derrick White does that are a little bit different and his role on the team, and the fact that they could bring in someone who is a guard instead of a forward, because of the way the rotation is shaping out.”

Brown isn’t buying Hill’s explanation. He is convinced that his public criticism of Nike is the sole reason he isn’t in Paris. But the Celtics forward cannot do anything but complain.