Jaylen Brown received a lot of praise from his All-Star captain before his first All-Star appearance in Atlanta on Sunday night.
The Celtics swingman was chosen by LeBron James during the All-Star Draft on Thursday night and the Lakers superstar praised one of his Eastern Conference rivals when making the choice.
“With my fourth choice in the second round, I will choose Jaylen ‘Underappreciated’ Brown,” said James.
When informed of LeBron’s comment after the game, Brown felt humble with the praise.
“This is great – if one of the, if not The best player, selects you and points out what you are doing, or something he saw, it is great,” said Brown. “I am gratefull for that.”
Brown will join a Team LeBron squad that includes Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic among the five starters. Brown was selected in eighth overall place among the reserves and will play alongside guards Damian Lillard, Chris Paul and Paul George. The attacking court will be consistent with Ben Simmons, Domantas Sabonis and Rudy Gobert for the confrontation against Team Durant.
Brown will face his Celtics teammate, Jayson Tatum, who was promoted to the five starters as a replacement for Kevin Durant’s injury. The Boston duo will also face each other not only in the game, but also in the 3-point match on Sunday night, which should create a friendly competition all night between the Boston core.
“There will be no official bets,” said Brown with a smile. “But with me and with JT everything is definitely a competition. I look forward to competing and sharing the floor. Just tell him not to protect me – that’s all I’m going to say. “
The Celtics will go to the All-Star Break in a four-game winning streak, placing themselves in exclusive possession of the fourth seed of the Eastern Conference. Despite the team’s first-time roller coaster between injuries and fights on the court, a strong final kick for the first half will make the weekend a little more relaxing for the Boston stars on their arrival on the national scene.
“Definitely, going there is a little bit more pleasant, knowing that we ended up the right way,” said Tatum. “Now, going to the break, we can take some time out and enjoy whatever we are doing, enjoy the All-Star game, so we are sure to feel better flying to Atlanta in a few days.”
The Celtics return to halftime action against the Brooklyn Nets on March 11.