Boston’s Jaylen Brown encouraged his peers to continue using their platform to speak out after the DeSean Jackson incident — but to do research as well.
While the Boston Celtics are settling in to their new home away from home at the Disney NBA campus in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, the world outside isn’t slowing down.
During the last few days, a controversy has grown out of a series of anti semitic comments made by New York Eagles football player DeSean Jackson (who has since apologized).
This has added yet another dimension to an already-fraught landscape of how the NBA is handling player concerns over racial justice, a struggle fourth-year shooting guard and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) Vice President Jaylen Brown has been navigating from a position of leadership.
After friend of George Floyd — whose killing in late may sparked global protests about police brutality — and former NBA player Stephen Jackson doubled down on the comments of DeSean Jackson even after the latter’s apology, Brown was asked his thoughts on the situation.
Busy with plenty of concerns of his own ahead of the team’s first presser from the so-called ‘bubble’, the Cal-Berkeley product had not yet gotten up to speed on all the details of the difficult situation.
Wisely, he said as much, instead emphasizing that those unfortunate words ought not to discourage other athletes from using their platform for good.
Instead, he called on his peers to educate themselves a bit on issues they want to speak out on.
“I would still like to encourage athletes to speak out on things, not only are we athletes or NBA players or entertainers — we also have obligations to our community, obligations to our family et cetera,” he began.
“So, a lot of times when we speak we represent them. I want to still encourage NBA players and people with influence to do so even though media might think otherwise, [and] other people might think otherwise. I think that’s a form of an oppressive thought, to try to silence our voices.”
I do want to encourage NBA players and athletes and entertainers to continue to do the research and and learn and become more comfortable speaking on certain things,” he added. “A lot of time, athletes feel uncomfortable.”
And it seems Brown wanted to move beyond both of the Jackson’s comments to a more general frame, noting that perhaps sometimes players don’t feel they have a place to speak out on these issues, or perhaps worry how they might be seen for doing so.
“They don’t want to get ridiculed by the media, or they haven’t really put the time in to do the research on [an issue,]” he explained.
“I want to encourage entertainers — and not be discouraged by what may have happened with DeSean Jackson, and continue to use your voice and platform; just use it responsibly. Do your research, ask questions, call people talk about things.”
“I’m not going to let that example quiet my voice or quiet everybody’s voice around us — we have a lot of … influence,” he added.
Brown was careful to emphasize the importance of the responsibility that comes with that platform, however.
“We have obligations to our community, and things like that some people look at me as a voice for the voiceless,” he noted, alluding to his growing role as a leader on several issues in the NBA.
“I want to continue to do that and encourage my brothers that are here in this bubble to do so as well — but challenge yourself to do some research … to not be distracted by social media or video games all the time and spend just a little bit of time just to educate yourself on whatever it is that you choose to play for on the back end.”
The Georgia native revealed he himself suspended his Instagram account for the arrival at the bubble so he would be able to focus on his game, have time to do that research he’s encouraging others to do, and build good habits in pursuit of his goals.
While it may seem to some — including many fans in their homes still self-isolating due to local conditions or personal necessity — that the world “out there” has slowed to a crawl, the question revealed some of the concerns players had ahead of the bubble.
Namely, how to cope with developments like this from inside the bubble.
For Brown’s part, his measured, evidence-based approach seems a solid one — and deploying the ‘bubble’ itself may yet be one of the best platforms available to help share new ways of thinking about very old problems.
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