As ESPN notesthe Celtics' honeymoon after their title will ultimately have lasted only 12 days. The time it took for Wyc Grousbeck to announce to Brad Stevens that the franchise was going to be put up for sale.
In the wake of this announcement, which took everyone by surprise in Massachusetts and even elsewhere, Jaylen Brown accused Nike of pressuring him to prevent him from getting Kawhi Leonard's spot on the US team for the Paris Olympics… when it was his teammate Derrick White who was called up.
“Jaylen is like that” explains an anonymous member of the franchise. “He's not afraid to speak his mind. He has this constant inner fire and he sees skeptics in every corner.”
“He looks like he's added five extra pounds of muscle. He looks so fit, it's just unreal. He's so hungry, he's so motivated, he's so determined.”
What will prevent him from resting on his laurels after having achieved the Grail in June?
“I've been in the gym with Jaylen the last few weeks”assures Al Horford. “First of all, he looks like he's added five extra pounds of muscle. He looks so fit, it's just unreal. He's so hungry, he's so motivated, he's so determined.”
Team USA could also serve as a double source of motivation for the Celtics in their title defense this season. For Jaylen Brown because he wasn't there, and for Jayson Tatum because he played little there…
“Personally, I was not pleased.”Al Horford continues on these two situations. “Those guys are very special to me. And even though it wasn’t against me, it motivated me and it motivated all of us for this season. I know they handled it well. They’re doing well. But when you see those two guys, the amount of work they put in, the sacrifices they made. It was tough to watch the Olympics and not see them in the position we would have hoped to see them in.”
