Jaylen Brown opens up on post-pandemic life in new interview

While the world has ground to a halt around us, Boston Celtic Jaylen Brown asks us to look out for one another – and to take care of ourselves as well.

Boston Celtics starting shooting guard Jaylen Brown has been a vocal presence early on since the NBA began to feel the effects of the coronavirus pandemic suspending league activities.

Still, things have been moving at such a hectic pace while we all stand still that few players — Brown included — have had a chance to talk on how the new reality of physical distancing has impacted their lives.

The Cal-Berkeley product opened up on Monday about how the last two weeks have changed his life and a host of other topics on No Sleeping in the Trophy Room, a television show on the Revolt TV, a cable television music and culture channel.

When asked how it’s affected his personal life and work, Brown had much to say.

“This affected me as well as everybody in the NBA, but it’s also affected the world. I don’t think we’ve ever experienced this in terms of a standstill from everybody globally. Everybody’s at a standstill right now.”

Like many of us, the Georgian has been helping loved ones navigate this crisis, focusing his energy on balancing work, family, friendship and civic duty in these trying times.

“I haven’t even had time to really reflect how we got to this point, I’ve just been in full protective mode, [to] make sure my family is safe, make sure they have everything they need, make sure I have everything I need here at home,” noted Brown.

“I’ve just been trying to send my support to family and things like that and also send messages out to the world to let them know that to stay together and handle the situation with maturity,” he added.

Physical distancing has quickly become the new norm, and across society — not just in the NBA. But for players, league-mandated self-quarantine has not just meant social isolation, but also physical distance from gyms and team practice facilities.

As such, players find their conditioning taking a hit at the same time adjusting to being physically isolated for the good of others is taking a toll on everyone.

And with the NBA hoping to restart the schedule some time this summer and the stress caused by the pandemic, it puts NBA players like Brown in an especially awkward situation.

How is he dealing with the pressure to maintain his physique — and for that matter, his mental health?

“To keep you to keep yourself active, to keep your mental strong during this downtime, you have to have a routine,” offered the Marietta native.

“I think that’s the most important thing, especially now know the resources and the essence of everything that we normally have [is absent]. Is there a way for me to be able to pass the time and also get stuff accomplished? It is to have a routine. I think there’s so much power [in] having a routine.”

“I think a lot of young people can implement that into their daily structure, and then they’ll see a big difference,” he suggested.

Of course, such routines don’t materialize out of thin air; they take planning. And that’s exactly how the former Golden Bear came at the problem in front of him — systematically.

“It first started out like two days ago. I just wrote out a whole list of things that I wanted to get done, and how you can go about doing it. So I everything scheduled out breakfast, lunch dinner, to — I’ve got a piano — here, some piano lessons. I’ve got books to read, I’ve got stuff … All I’m doing right now is just trying to stick to that routine.”

“A lot of bad habits can be built in times like this,” he offered sagely. “It’s like that’s the perfect excuse to sit on the couch.”

If the NBA does find itself able to resume activities, there will be more than a few players who find themselves behind the eight ball in terms of conditioning. And in truth, this is an issue that’s affecting millions of Americans and people around the world.

Cooped up inside to avoid coming into contact with others who may be carrying the virus — or especially susceptible to it — is changing routines in a much more sedentary way that may impact global health in negative ways.

“It’s a perfect excuse to just watch a TV show and not work out because you don’t have a gym or you don’t got somewhere to go necessarily, but I’m not going to accept that excuse I got a lot of stuff in my life I’m still striving for and I’m not going to let coronavirus put everything on hold.”

On the topic of how he and his teammates took things when they shut down league activities on March 11, the rapidity of how quickly things moved left a considerable impression on the young wing. “It’s kind of crazy that everything just took a spin so fast,” he related.

“Not too long ago, I was getting ready to play the Milwaukee Bucks … I was looking forward to it.”

The Celtics nearly found themselves stuck in Wisconsin as a result, but were allowed to charter a plane back to quarantine in their home city.

His role as vice president in the Player’s Union has given him a unique perspective on the behind-the-scenes issues the NBA is facing as well. Brown discussed his limited role in that process, which has been much learning and a little sharing of his own ideas and point of view.

“[The NBA and the Player’s Union] are working together to come up with the best solution in terms of what the NBA will look like over the next few months, and what it will look like next season. I think that’s the big question, the big discussion that everybody’s talking about.”

Despite the fact that a number of viral crises have erupted in the last twenty years, none have come even close to doing what this novel coronavirus has done, and in short order — a point Brown is careful to make.

“The NBA has never shut down,” he began. “The NBA is a billion dollar company, multi-billion dollar company. For them to shut down like this is a lot of revenue loss.”

That revenue loss could have all kinds of unpredictable effects if the league and the players union are not on the same page — and those hoping for a smooth return to action may be disappointed, according to the 23-year-old Union leader.

“[I’ve been] trying to be a part of that discussion as being a vice president, just trying to find out the best pathways to get back to where we want to be and it’s not going to be an easy fix like everybody thinks it is.”

Brown was ahead of the curve regarding the potential for disruption the pandemic would cause, using his platform to advocate for a measured but serious response. And he’s still concerned now, based on what he’s seen since.

“I don’t think America is really set up for an outbreak or a state of emergency like we’re experiencing, he offered.

“My ask of people who … is to come together and lean on your neighbors. Extend your arms out to help people in need, instead of everybody being a man for himself. Because that’s only going to cause more drama, more chaos, more violence.”

Noting the lack of access to economic security and healthcare being laid bare by the pandemic and the precarity of entrepreneurs and other independent workers, Brown was clearly concerned for the capacity of the U.S. to weather the pandemic without people looking out for one another.

He has been exceptionally supportive of celebrities and other public figures using their platform to such an end, however. “I want to continue to encourage that,” he said.

“People watching this are going to see this continue with celebrity status using platforms to inspire people to come together, extend your arms — if you have the means to do it … I think this [kind of disaster] has never happened before.”

It’s happened in different facets, but … this stuff happens every hundred years [on such a scale],” he added.

And in truth, perhaps nothing like this has happened, ever. The pandemic itself is unlike anything seen since perhaps the flu pandemic of 1918, which killed millions around the world.

Add on an accompanying stock market crash on a scale rivaling history’s largest, and the world may well be in entirely uncharted territory.

“Right now, [the] outbreak is [a] state of emergency. So I want to encourage people to realize that; to wake up, don’t be in disbelief … Let’s see what we can do to kind of slow this thing down kind of damage control and try to help the person next to you.

Stay close to your family, use that to build with your family … strengthen relationships with people you know this at this time. … Reach out to people. Try to further yourself in some way, shape or form mentally, spiritually, emotionally.”

“Just because the world’s sitting still don’t mean you’ve got to,” he added.

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