Jaylen Brown explains how Kobe Bryant fueled him to turn down $50 million

Almost every star in the NBA has a shoe deal. Whether they sign with Nike, Adidas, or any other of the major brands is up to them, but they all have one. Even if it’s Julius Randle signing with Skechers, a deal gets done. But Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown didn’t go that route. And Kobe Bryant was at the core of his decision.

Brown went through the typical motions when looking to ink a shoe deal. He said as much during a recent sitdown with Kickstarter CEO Everette Taylor for Sports Illustrated's new series, The Playbook. “I met with every brand in hopes to sign with somebody, and none of them stood out to me,” Brown said with a laugh. “They all kind of approached things the same, and I think it’s a little dinosaur. And I was looking for the brand of the future, not the brand of the past.

“And I couldn’t find it, so I had to start it.”

Kobe Bryant inspired Jaylen Brown to start 741 Performance

Brown said that Bryant was the inspiration behind his decision to branch out on his own and start his own brand.

“Honestly, where I got the idea was from Kobe, may he rest in peace,” Brown said. “Like, before he passed away, I mean, I remember seeing an article come out. Kobe was launching his own brand. He and Nike had been [separated]. And he had planned on signing athletes. Giving better deals and better percentages. And I just thought that was dope.”

Now, Brown has launched 741 Performance. He has his own shoe, and other players, like his teammate Payton Pritchard, have already started rocking the product, too.

Brown has always been one to pave his own way in every aspect of life. Seeing him start his own company isn’t surprising, and it falls in line with how he carries himself as a person—he’s a leader.

Rather than signing a deal with $50 million or more, he went his own way. He followed legacy, not money.

“I passed on probably almost $50 million worth of deals in order to start something on my own,” Brown said. “And not because I didn’t like money. Those types of deals didn’t work for me.”

By starting his own shoe company, Brown has full control. Instead of following the paths of others, he decided to make one himself. That’s what mattered most to him.

Money runs the world, but for Brown, giving athletes an option to stand out from the crowd was more important.