Jaylen Brown has become known for intense underwater offseason training, but the Philadelphia 76ers star says his famous workouts are about far more than physical conditioning.
Speaking with Hannah O’Flynn, Brown said that training underwater has transformed not only his body but also his mindset.
“Water is unforgiving. It don’t care how much money you got, it don’t care how tall you are, how short you are. It treats everybody the same. You have to humble yourself when you’re in the water, completely, or you will drown. Two years ago, I couldn’t swim like that.”
“As I started to learn about my relationship with water, I started to learn about myself. I never thought I would be able to swim in a 20-feet-deep pool with a weighted vest and all these different types of things. I’m feeling like, at times, you’re about to drown. You have to get comfortable with that feeling. Your body is sending off these reactions. Your alert system knows something is happening, but, in reality, you have a lot more time than you actually think.”
“In life, you might feel like you’re drowning at some point. If you panic, you’ll drown faster. Taking your time, taking deep breaths, you’ll realize you have more time to think, prepare, figure out a plan, and swim out of it. Rather than spending your time panicking underwater because you’re drowning, you’re only going to make it worse.”
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Brown has gone viral multiple times over the past few offseasons for videos showing him swimming in pools wearing weighted vests, performing underwater exercises, and holding his breath for a long period of time.
But the challenge, according to Brown, isn’t just physical. It’s the art of learning to stay calm when every instinct tells you to panic.
That mentality could be very useful for Brown as he prepares for the biggest challenge of his NBA career.
After a blockbuster trade from the Boston Celtics, Brown now plays for the Philadelphia 76ers. They are considered one of the biggest challengers to the New York Knicks in the East with a stacked squad. The trade ended Brown’s 10-year reign in Boston and paired him alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe.
There are rumors that the Sixers could land LeBron James in free agency as well. Reports hint that Embiid, Maxey, and Brown have all been in contact with the four-time MVP to make their case.
Brown has remained in the headlines for other reasons as well. Earlier this offseason, he liked a social media post mocking former teammate Jayson Tatum for not publicly defending him before the Celtics traded him. That adds another complex layer to their relationship.
In spite of it all, Brown has leaned on the mindset that his underwater training helped develop. For him, it’s not about creating viral videos or showing off difficult training exercises. It’s about learning to remain composed under pressure.
If Brown’s philosophy is correct, the toughest moments won’t be the ones where everything is going smoothly. They will be the ones where you feel like you’re drowning. And according to Brown, that’s when you have to stay calm.
