Jaylen Brown did the unthinkable. Michael Jordan has been left off of his all-time starting lineup.
The Boston Celtics passed the Los Angeles Lakers for most NBA titles of all time this past playoff season, and now the spotlight has shifted to forward Jaylen Brown’s snub from Team USA.
With the team getting ready to play its first game versus Serbian star Nikola Jokic and his teammates, Brown’s basketball career has been relegated to the background. On Wednesday, Brown did the unthinkable to the NBA’s “GOAT” Michael Jordan as he hit MJ with a snub not unlike the one he just experienced.
The epic snub occurred as a bold “dynasty” prediction from Boston legend Bob Cousy. Sam Hauser’s contract extension was announced, and it came amid praise from Celtics GM and former Butler Bulldogs head coach Brad Stevens.
Brown averaged 23 points during the regular season as coach Joe Mazzulla’s starting shooting guard while stepping over into forward territory at times in the Celtics’ versatile lineups alongside Jayson Tatum.
Brown keeps Jordan off all-time starting lineup
A statue of Kobe Bryant outside the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. © Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Brown’s top five included a new school flair as he selected a lineup four-deep with outstanding shooters, rounding it out with 11-time champion Bill Russell of the Celtics’ early franchise dynasties.
The lineup includes Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry at the point guard position, a controversial selection that he made with Curry and Lakers legend Kobe Bryant comprising his starting backcourt.
Brown left Jordan, who won six titles with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, off the team in favor of his “doppelganger,” the Lower Marion (PA) High School product Bryant.
Brown selected NBA All-Time leading scorer LeBron James to man the power forward position for Brown’s “dream team.”
Team USA prep for huge challenge
Team USA and its Celtics duo of Derrick White and Jayson Tatumwill take on Jokic’s Serbian squad at 11:15 a.m. on Sunday in Paris.
While Brown won’t be there to support his teammates on the court, he will almost certainly be watching from home as an avid hoops head and aficionado. Brown played his college ball at the University of California-Berkeley, and has since gone on to win NBA Finals MVP.
Brown will almost certainly have the luxury of watching the game on television if he so chooses after an impressive championship run this past NBA Playoffs season.