This newest chapter of the Boston Celtics' ongoing drama with Jaylen Brown is not the first, nor will it be the last. This started when Brown went out of his way to call Jayson Tatum a liar when the latter said he didn't know ahead of time that the franchise traded him to Philadelphia; then it intensified when Brian Scalabrine revealed Brown may have wanted out and was pushing for a trade to Milwaukee.
He has somewhat walked back those comments, but while doing so, out have come the narratives. Boston doesn't appreciate its stars; they traded the better player, Brown's right to call Tatum a liar. You've probably heard it all from Celtics haters and Brown stans.
As for the opposite end, it's that Brown wasn't worth the money, Celtics kept the better player, Tatum, and Brown weren't equals. Both of these narratives are overshadowing the true tragedy in all of this: that Brown truly was a Celtics legend who earned the right to have his name mentioned among the best to ever suit up for a franchise.
The same thing happened after Ray Allen's infamous departure from Boston in 2012, though obviously the circumstances were different. Allen willingly chose to leave, while Brown was sent over to their division rival.
Times like these overshadow that, warts and all, Brown was absolutely the right pick when many questioned it in 2016. He stepped up when the Celtics needed him to. He made some iconic plays that led to Banner 18. He did what he could when Tatum went down. That's what should be remembered more than anything else.
Hopefully when it dies down once and for all, Brown will be appreciated
It's understandable why everything is the way it is right now. Because their loyalty is to the team and Brown, fans have to agree with the decision and defend it. But hopefully, when the dust settles and Brown hangs it up, what fans will remember is his imprint on the franchise.
If both the team and a good chunk of the fanbase can grow to remember Allen fondly, hopefully that bodes well for Brown, especially since it was never his choice to leave (as far as we know). It's hard not to think of the good because of how bad the drama has gotten, but sadly, this is just how it works.
Hopefully this doesn't get bad enough that Brown's number doesn't get retired when he has the chance to see it as such when he retires. Odds are, it will probably get worse before it gets better this season, but breakups typically work like that. Boston and Brown might not be an item anymore, but here's to hoping the bridge doesn't get burned.
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