Jaylen Brown has spent much of this season answering the doubters-and doing it with authority. With Jayson Tatum sidelined, questions swirled early on about whether Brown could carry the scoring load and keep the Celtics on track. He’s answered that with his play, emerging as Boston’s leading scorer and a steadying presence on both ends of the floor.
But this past week, Brown found himself in the spotlight for something off the court.
During a recent appearance on the White Noise Podcast, Brown addressed a comment he made about Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes that sparked controversy. The remark-intended as a compliment-was widely criticized, and Brown didn’t shy away from owning the mistake.
“First, I didn’t know that was a thing,” Brown said, referring to the reaction the comment received. “For Scottie, I said the comments, but I didn’t know that was something people had already been teasing him about or something like that. So I apologize for that, for being unaware of that.”
The comment in question involved Brown saying Barnes had an "extra chromosome"-a phrase that, while meant to highlight Barnes’ physical gifts, understandably struck a nerve due to its connotations. Brown explained his thinking, saying, “When I made the comment I was trying to give him a compliment on how strong he was. When I said ‘extra chromosome,’ people looked at it as negative, but I was thinking Superman, Incredible Hulk-I’m a Marvel guy-so extra chromosome would be a benefit.”
He went on to acknowledge that, regardless of intent, it would’ve been better to leave the phrase out altogether. “It probably would’ve been best not to say that at all,” Brown admitted.
To his credit, Brown didn’t double down or deflect. He recognized the misstep and moved quickly to clarify his intentions and offer a sincere apology. In a league where public misstatements can spiral fast, Brown’s response was a reminder that accountability still matters.
On the court, the Celtics met the Raptors on Friday night, but Brown didn’t suit up. Boston ruled him out ahead of tipoff due to a non-COVID illness, marking just his second missed game of the season.
Even without their leading scorer, the Celtics didn’t miss a beat. Boston rolled to a 112-96 win over Toronto, thanks in large part to a breakout performance from Payton Pritchard. The guard poured in 33 points, stepping up in a big way to lead the charge.
The win bumped the Celtics to 17-11 on the season and gave them a bit of momentum heading into a short break before facing the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday.
Brown’s leadership-both in how he’s played and how he’s handled himself off the court-continues to be a major storyline in Boston this season. And if the Celtics are going to make a deep run, they’ll need both his scoring and his steady presence in the locker room.