Jaylen Brown
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Jaylen Brown is gaining MVP momentum following a historic December
NBA fans have been treated to Jaylen Brown playing the best basketball of his career without Jayson Tatum. The Boston Celtics were forecasted to have a lesser season due to their top star being injured and multiple other starters traded for cap flexibility. However, Boston is currently third in the Eastern Conference with a realistic chance at the top seed.
Brown gets credit for this, but he is noticing some differences between him and other top stars. The Celtics All-Star called out other top players for getting special treatment from the referees:
“I do the same things that they do. They just pick and choose who they like to call it on. That’s the part that pisses me off. It should just be everybody should just get reffed evenly and consistently, but it just seems like there’s an agenda where some guys they choose to call certain fouls for, some guys they don’t.”
NBA officiating has been under fire for ruining some great games with questionable calls down the stretch. Most fans hate seeing a great matchup decided by fluke foul calls that aren’t always called on both sides for all players. Brown believes that he is among the best players to not get the special treatment from officials.
Does Jaylen Brown Have A Point?
Brown has earned even more respect from NBA fans for his style of play this season. The former NBA Finals MVP has already accomplished a lot, but this proves that he can take his game to an even higher level. Fans respect Brown for leading his team with minimal help and not foul baiting all game like many of his peers do.
Names like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson and Luka Doncic have been called out for attempting to draw fouls via their star power. Breakout star Deni Avdija is starting to get criticized for having a favorable whistle that helps him have high-scoring games for his All-Star bid.
Brown didn’t reveal anyone by name, but most NBA fans know he’s talking about this specific list of players. The NBA officials give these players the benefit of the doubt for their playing style and star power. Brown is understandably questioning the consistency since he doesn’t get those calls as easily.
Why Jaylen Brown’s Comment Matters
NBA games get criticized for poor officiating more than other major sports, despite all having flaws. The main reason for this is that fans believe the referees often decide the game by ruining the close late minutes of peak drama.
Brown and other players claiming they feel the officiating is biased and favorable to some names more than others is an important story. If officials make a controversial call in favor or against a certain player in a playoff game, this quote can come back to create more news.
Boston will likely be involved in at least one noteworthy playoff series to make it interesting if Brown is still getting snubbed from call. Regardless, it is fascinating to see an MVP candidate calling out that other players at his level get special treatment from the officials while the season is still going.