It is clear that the Celtics Jaylen Brown has aspirations beyond basketball stardom. But it will be his basketball accomplishments that may well propel him to significance in the world apart from the hardwood.
And I am not talking about the life Shaquille O'Neal has achieved after retiring from the NBA. I love Shaq, but he has been an example of "overexposure" in his TV NBA analysis and commercials. He is everywhere.
I call Jaylen "The Quiet Man" and that is a compliment. He definitely is no blowhard. I love this guy, but that doesn't mean I don't disagree with some of his positions on the NBA and the racial atmosphere among a segment of Boston fans. His stand on the NBA All-Star game being a "layup line" was solid. His take on Boston fans may have been a bit extreme.
Now "Edging Eighty", I lived down the road from Bill Russell in the 1960's when I became a staunch fan of the Boston Celtics - spoke directly to Sam Jones on racial injustice - and never noticed that Red Auerbach started the first all-black lineup in the League. That is, until I read about it in the press. Any of my black/white views were visual only - not lodged in my brain, which distinguished no colors on the basketball court.
Can Jaylen Brown achieve significant success as a proponent of racial justice and peace in today's turbulent society? Yes he can. But attaining success in the form of a few Championships in what may be the "intellectual capital" of the country, namely Boston, Massachusetts, would be a great start.
This is far from a "shut up and dribble for now" prompt for this amazing young man. He has been a mainstay for the Celts as they wind down their regular season. Coming into the League, the question was asked, "Is Jaylen Brown too intelligent for the NBA"? We are close to finding that out!
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