Jaylen Brown is known for his outspoken personality. While this has resulted in some interesting exchanges on the court, the star’s latest comments seemed to be pointed at a rival off the floor as well.
During a recent stream, the Boston Celtics guard fielded some questions about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Although he initially praised the Thunder superstar, Jaylen Brown quickly followed up with some harsh criticism.
“Shai’s nice. Nice as f**k,” Brown commented. “I don’t like the foul-baiting s**t. But Shai’s nice.”
Brown fielded a follow-up question about his approach toward foul-baiting. The Celtics superstar responded:
“It’s the difference between drawing a foul and then flopping. Flopping is like acting like you got hit and you didn’t get hit. If you got fouled, you got fouled.”
Jaylen Brown admitted that some of the league’s best players resort to drawing fouls. Players such as Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have even been called out for their foul-baiting tactics. However, this appears to be different from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s approach.
The Thunder star has been repeatedly criticized for his approach to drawing fouls. With several sources noting his flopping habit, his reputation has taken a hit.
Unfortunately, the stats support the naysayers in this case.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander currently ranks second in scoring this season, averaging 32.4 points per game. While impressive, the Thunder star averages almost ten free-throw attempts per game (9.7). Considering that his scoring average drops to 24.04 points per game without the free throws, the impact of his foul-baiting antics is evident.
Jaylen Brown’s comment simply draws attention to Gilgeous-Alexander’s offensive style. Given his earlier claim about resolving to flop to win MVP, this statement seems to hold.
Jaylen Brown’s Approach To Offense
The Boston Celtics star has been among the league’s elite two-way players. While he has successfully cemented his identity as a versatile defender, Jaylen Brown is garnering more attention for his offensive skills this season.
Jayson Tatum‘s absence has opened avenues for Brown to take over on the offensive end. For the 2025-26 season, the star leads the team in scoring with an average of 29.3 points per game. He also continues to contribute on both ends of the floor, with averages of 6.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game.
Of his 29.3 points per game, only 5.7 points come from free throws. This ascertains that the guard isn’t dependent on his production from the charity stripe to impact his team’s offense.
Despite being the Celtics’ best scorer this season, Brown’s efforts haven’t always yielded success. Even with 34 points in a recent outing against the Detroit Pistons, the superstar couldn’t lead his team to a victory.
Jaylen Brown’s performance has undoubtedly kept the Celtics competitive this season. However, with the intention of remaining in the playoff picture until Tatum returns, Boston may need to support him with more talent.
