Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
Jaylen Brown Wants Record-Setting Contract with Celtics to Spark Revolutionary Goals
Throughout his career, Jaylen Brown's improved from one season to the next. As he entered his prime in the 2022-23 campaign, the two-time All-Star generated 26.6 points and 6.9 rebounds, career highs. He also dished out 3.5 assists, matching his personal best, and 1.1 steals, a tick under the most he has swiped in a season.
That earned the Georgia native a spot on the All-NBA Second Team and a five-year, $304 million veteran supermax extension, the most lucrative contract in league history.
Wednesday, Brown and the Celtics held a press conference at MIT, home to the Bridge Program, developed by Brown's 7uice Foundation, which works with the Community Biotechnology Initiative at the MIT Media Lab to provide science and technology opportunities for children in Boston's underserved communities.
There, with the Bridge Program students, his family, civil rights icon John Carlos, and members of the Celtics' brass, including owners Wyc Grousbeck and Steve Pagliuca, president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, and head coach Joe Mazzulla, the former third overall pick put pen to paper and discussed what he wants to accomplish after signing a landmark deal.
"I want to launch a project to bring Black Wall Street here to Boston," Brown stated. "I want to attack the wealth disparity here. I think there is analytics that supports that stimulating the wealth gap could actually be something that could be better for the entire economy."
He continued, "With the biggest financial deal in NBA history, it makes sense to talk about, one, your investment in community, and two, also, the wealth disparity here, that nobody wants to talk about. It's top five in the U.S.; it's something that we can all improve on. It's unsettling.
"And I think through my platform, through influential partners, through selective leaders, government officials, a lot of them are in this room, that we can come together and create new jobs, new resources, new businesses, new ideas that can highlight minorities, but also stimulate the economy and the wealth gap at the same time."
Brown also shared his belief that through commercial entities, real estate, and residentials, Boston can be a "fully integrated (and) self-sufficient" city, with these ventures stimulating the wealth gap.
"I think Boston can be the pilot. Not just for wealth disparity here and in the U.S., but also, around the world."
Brown's ambition, passion, work ethic that's not dulled by success but amplified by failures, and his commitment to making an impact on the court and being even more of a game-changer off it, are why Grousbeck conveyed, "He's one of the people I respect the most."
Those characteristics are also why the star wing continued giving back to the Boston community amid negotiations with the Celtics. And why he's earned a spot on Boston Magazine's list of the city's most influential individuals on multiple occasions and the Boston Globe's Bostonians of the Year in 2020.
Based on his track record, it's why Celtics fans and residents of the city he stars in should put stock in Brown's saying they haven't seen the best of him on the court or in the community yet.
Further Reading
Celtics, Jaylen Brown Agree to Richest Deal in NBA History
Why Celtics Should Enter 2023-24 Season Optimistic About Most Important Area of Improvement
Payton Pritchard Officially Named to USA Select Team
Intriguing Option for Celtics May Soon Become Available
Joel Embiid Processing Sixers' Future, Could He Join Jayson Tatum on Celtics?
Sam Cassell Discusses What Brought Him Back to Boston and What He'll Bring to the Celtics
Oshae Brissett on Joining Celtics: 'I Just Want to Go Win'
Marcus Smart Reflects on His Time with Celtics: 'I Left Everything I Had'
