The decision to leave Jaylen Brown off of the Team USA roster came as a surprise to some, but one of the people in charge of assembling the roster insists Nike had nothing to do with it.
Kawhi Leonard withdrew from Team USA on Wednesday due to a lingering knee injury. The Los Angeles Clippers star was quickly replaced by Derrick White, who will now join Boston Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday at the Paris Olympics.
So why not Jaylen Brown? The NBA Finals MVP shared some cryptic emojis on social media right around the time the White news was announced. Brown then tagged Nike in a separate post and wrote “this what we doing?”
Nike is the most prominent sponsor of Team USA and has been for years. The theory is that Brown was not given consideration for the Team USA roster because he has openly criticized Nike in the past, once accusing the apparel juggernaut of not caring about ethics.
NBA legend Grant Hill, who is USA Basketball’s managing director, responded to the Nike theory during his press conference on Wednesday. He joked that he wore Fila “for a good portion of my career” and spoke about how difficult it is to assemble a team of just 12 players.
“We’re proud of our partners obviously at USA Basketball, but this is about putting together a team. … You’ve got 12 spots, and you have to build a team,” Hill said. “One of the hardest things is leaving people off the roster that I’m a fan of, that I look forward to watching throughout the season, throughout the playoffs. Guys who have been Finals MVPs, guys who have been a part of the program, guys who have won gold medals, guys who I respect, admire and enjoy watching. But the responsibility that I have is to put together a team and a team that compliments each other, a team that fits, a team that will give us the best opportunity for success. Whatever theories that might be out there, they’re just that.”
USA Basketball’s Grant Hill on Jaylen Brown’s posts apparently suggesting Nike was behind his Olympic snub: “For a good portion of my career, I wore Fila. That was supposed to be a joke. We’re proud of our partners, obviously. … This is about putting together a team.” pic.twitter.com/Oh7LvSaUCW
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) July 11, 2024
Those who subscribe to the Nike theory would point out that Kyrie Irving was also left off of Team USA. Irving is a former Nike athlete who was dropped by the company in 2022 and subsequently took some swipes at them.
White is an above-average defensive player who does not need the ball in his hands. He also probably will not be offended if he is asked to play more of a complimentary role. Those are likely some of the reasons Team USA viewed him as a good fit, even if Brown believes there are other factors at play.
