In a bizarre way, Stephen A. Smith has punctuated his beef with Jaylen Brown. After news broke of the five-time All-Star getting traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, Smith wasted no time relaying his own version of “I told you so” on air.
On Wednesday’s episode of “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” the ESPN personality did a victory lap of sorts as he reacted to the Brown trade, which brought Paul George and four future draft picks to the Boston Celtics.
“All the stuff that I’ve said has been validated. You know how I was validated? By the fact that he’s a Philadelphia 76er. Because why in God’s name, if you’re the Boston Celtics, move away from a dude that gave you 28 a night? …Because you had to get him out of there, that’s why. Because you knew, in your heart of hearts, that he wasn’t happy with being deferential to anyone.”
These comments are the capstone to a long, heated war of words between Smith and Brown.
This summer, the intensity picked up when Smith took exception to Brown’s “favorite year” remark. In a live stream shortly after Boston was eliminated in the first round, the former Finals MVP looked back with fondness at the season that was, even as Celtics fans and officials alike were reeling from the upset loss to the 76ers.
Brown would fire back at Smith, calling him and his mother network ESPN “unethical” for their reactions to his viral sound bite. Now that Brown is joining a new team, it will be interesting to see if his beef with Smith continues to simmer.
“He Never Asked Out of Boston”: Shams Charania Sheds More Light on Jaylen Brown Trade
Though there have been rumors of Jaylen Brown not seeing eye to eye with the Celtics organization, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that Brown was not pushing the team to ship him away.
“My understanding is Jaylen Brown through all of this, never requested a trade. He never asked out of Boston.”
This trade comes on the heels of the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes, in which the Celtics reportedly dangled Brown in a bid to acquire the services of the two-time MVP.
READ MORE:
Insider Reports Major Reason Behind Jaylen Brown’s Shocking Move to 76ers For Paul George
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
