It’s nothing new to see NBA players use the league’s offseason as an opportunity to travel outside of the United States. But Jaylen Brown had one of the more unique vacation destinations last summer when he took a trip to Bahrain.
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Brown decided on the small Middle Eastern country as an escape and a chance to check out another side of the world. “I went there just for privacy, peace of mind,” Brown told Andscape. “Just also to learn about different places in the world, just exploring, making relationships with their foundations, exploring relationships through the game.”
Brown shared how he had never been to Bahrain before but wanted a chance to escape the hustle and bustle of his home and the celebrity status that came with it. The four-time All-Star simply enjoyed the new environment while developing other skills outside of basketball.
It seems as if his off-season excursion has brought a new mindset to Brown, who emphasized how vastly different Bahrain is compared to the United States.
“I spent the summer away outside of the U.S. [It was a] Different experience for me,” Brown continued. “It kind of opens your eyes to different parts of the world.”
Jaylen Brown’s off-season trip has helped him power his mindset
Championship hangovers are a very real struggle for many reigning champions, but it doesn’t seem as if that obstacle will affect Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics, who seem as hungry as ever. Brown’s summer vacation seemed to have helped the nine-year veteran clear his head, as he has shown an incredibly competitive mindset throughout Boston’s title defense season.
“And just, you know, reminding ourselves what we’re doing this for. What we’re playing for,” Brown opened up at the premiere of Max’s upcoming “Celtics City” documentary. “We’re playing for greatness. Sometimes, these regular-season games can get mundane, but it’s part of the journey. We can’t skip any steps. So we’ve got to embrace the hard times that we have.”
It’s certainly not easy for an athlete to tackle an 82-game schedule, as it takes a toll on a player’s mind and body as the season goes on.
Brown isn’t letting the grueling regular season get to him, though, instead embracing each opportunity to compete for a win. “So I’m looking forward to us to like, being on a stretch like we are now, and looking forward to kicking some teams’ ass.”
With a mindset like Brown’s, it’s no surprise that the Celtics are once again near the top of the Eastern Conference looking as dominant as ever.
It’s always hard to win back-to-back titles, but Boston maybe even better this season than they were throughout last year’s title campaign. If the rest of the roster carries the same mentality as their All-Star forward, the Celtics could very well walk away with another championship this summer.
