Boston Celtics wing Jaylen Brown was one of the first star athletes to sign with Ye (formerly Kanye) West’s Donda agency to represent his non-NBA interests, and in the wake of the antisemitic diatribe that embroiled West in scandal in recent weeks, he has also been among the first to feel the effects of what many are criticizing as his inadequate response to West’s comments.
Unlike West’s own talent agency CAA or his former sneaker partnership with Adidas — both of which have distanced themselves from West, breaking their business ties — Brown has eschewed doing so in a recent interview with the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn.
“A lot of time goes into creating an entity or organization,” said the Celtics wing regarding his decision to remain with Donda.
Interesting comments from Jaylen here to @GwashburnGlobe, but he doesn’t really distance himself from Kanye.https://t.co/FqFhdihLCL via @BostonGlobe
— Adam Himmelsbach (@AdamHimmelsbach) October 24, 2022
“The reason why I signed with Donda Sports, it represented education, it represented activism, disruption, it represented single-parent households, and a lot more people are involved in something like that,” he added.
“A lot of people that I work with, work with their families, build love and respect for, spending time in the summer. A lot of people (were) involved. That’s what the organization from my vantage point from Donda Sports represented.”
This response from Brown was explicitly rejected by people like Fox Sports’ Yaron Weitzman, who took issue with how the Georgia native reacted to West’s harmful, problematic words.
The epitome of "I condemn in the strongest terms this reprehensible behavior. However…"https://t.co/Z86xgmIIZD
— ProHoopsHistory, PhD (@ProHoopsHistory) October 24, 2022
“Part of his justification for staying with Donda, he says, is because ‘I’ve been a member of my community, trying to uplift my community, and I’m going to continue to do that,'” wrote Weitzman on Twitter Monday.
“Not sure what that has to do with anything here,” he related, noting he found Brown’s response problematic, hurtful, and sad.
“He doesn’t mention antisemitism once,” observed the Fox Sports analyst. “Just ‘I condone all hate and bigotry.’ Also, zero acknowledgment of how dangerous Kanye’s actions are, or indication that he truly cares.”
I find a lot of Brown's comments here problematic. And, well, both hurtful and sad.
1/6) He doesn't mention antisemitism once. Just "I condone all hate and bigotry." Also, zero acknowledgment of how dangerous Kanye's actions are, or indication that he truly cares. https://t.co/TjrWWgOtaC
— Yaron Weitzman (@YaronWeitzman) October 24, 2022
Weitzman touches on the issue of representation as well, suggesting that the well has been poisoned with whatever good things Donda the organization might be able to as an institution because of its founder’s words.
“(Brown) says he signed with Donda because ‘it represented education, it represented activism, disruption, it represented single-parent households, and a lot more people are involved in something like that.'”
“Can a company created by Kanye even claim to represent those things?” asks Weitzman, a fair question given the weight Donda has in the first place is entirely due to West’s reputation as an entertainer.
I've been trying to figure out for an hour now how to express my feelings on this.
"Disappointed" is the word I keep coming back to. But it doesn't quite seem to capture it fully. But it's the best I've got for now. https://t.co/3nkjM5GJoJ
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) October 24, 2022
Weitzman also takes issue with Brown’s decision to publicly support his friend (West) due to the perception of ” adversity that’s in front of him right now,” an issue that bothered Alex Goldberg, co-host of the CLNS Media “Celtics Lab” podcast.
“One of my favorite players is more interested in empathy for his (expletive) buddy than acknowledging my right to live an unmolested life,” he noted.
Many other members of the NBA press corp and league analysts also weighed in, describing Brown’s response as “pretty disappointing,” “fully inadequate,” and ” more excuse-making and weak condemnation“.
Disappointing for sure, more excuse making and weak condemnation https://t.co/doW13nOxX4
— Matt Kalman (@MattKalman) October 24, 2022
“I’m not entirely surprised, but pretty bummed,” shared MassLive’s Katie Morrison, reflecting a general sentiment of disappointment pervading the NBA media sphere in the wake of Brown’s tepid reaction.
Others dialed in on Brown’s affiliation, saying he “spoke far too generally on this incredibly important topic and never once spoke out against Kanye himself, suggesting that remaining with Donda “despite these comments from Kanye is an effective endorsement of Kanye’s deplorable behavior.”
This perspective was not a rare one, raising the question of whether such a cloud will now follow Brown’s efforts to use his platform for good as well.
This is so disappointing. I'm not entirely surprised, but pretty bummed. https://t.co/XfWzOLAXt3
— Katie Morrison (@KatieMo61) October 25, 2022
“Peach tree Kyrie” is a moniker already being attributed to Brown according to The Ringer’s Wosny Lambre.
Perhaps this hints that, beyond the two Boston alumni’s friendship that the Marietta native’s recent pivot to retweeting antivaccine messaging, it could not only undermine Brown’s activism but become a distraction to his team in its own right.
Peach tree Kyrie is what they’re calling bro smh https://t.co/Zl9vEVlCOm
— Wosny Lambre (@BigWos) October 24, 2022
When public figures use their platform to support causes, the words they choose and the people and organizations they affiliate themselves with carry additional weight and responsibility.
Such a path is important, but one not without the pitfalls Brown has found himself embroiled in. How he chooses to respond will have implications for how his interests on and off court are received by the public.
Like Irving, his intentions may be genuinely good. But in the world of public opinion, that may not matter if he continues to be seen as selective with his empathy and solidarity.
6/6) And frankly, I'm just pretty sick and tired and hurt by how difficult it seems to be for so many NBA players to condemn antisemitism, and do so without any sort of qualifiers.
— Yaron Weitzman (@YaronWeitzman) October 24, 2022
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
