Jaylen Brown did not hold back when discussing ESPN and Stephen A. Smith during an appearance at the Sports Beach Cannes event in France this week.The Celtics star, who has found himself at the center of trade speculation involving Giannis Antetokounmpo discussions, criticized the networks coverage of comments he made following Bostons playoff exit.The leader behind that was ESPN. ESPN is unethical, and Stephen A. Smith is the head face of that, Brown said in the viral soundbite of his answer. But, you know, the organization, the players, they were all in agreeance, they all knew what I meant by that. Our team was basically salary dumped. We lost a lot of players and for us to emerge and still be in the same position, we got to start to understand success doesnt always mean The clip quickly spread across social media, although the beginning of the question and the end of Browns answer were not included in the footage.The comments appear to reference Browns remarks following Bostons playoff elimination, when he described the 2025-26 campaign as his favorite year despite the Celtics falling short of another championship.Im so proud of this group and the way we played, Brown said during a Twitch stream following the season. I wish we trusted that style of play a little bit more, and playoffs kind of shifted our rotations and what we wanted to do. But Im so proud, and it was my favorite year of my basketball career.Those comments generated significant discussion around the league, particularly because Boston spent much of the season without Jayson Tatum due to injury.Related Article: Brian Windhorst's Honest Take on the Giannis-Jaylen Brown Trade RumorsDespite Brown specifically mentioning Stephen A. Smith, the ESPN personality did not criticize the original comments. During an appearance on First Take, Smith reportedly described Browns remarks as no big deal and said the Celtics star was simply being honest about his feelings.Browns future in Boston remains a talking point after his name surfaced in trade discussions involving Antetokounmpo. However, Celtics president Brad Stevens made it clear after the NBA Draft that Brown remains a major part of the organization.READ MORE: Jaylen Browns Future With Celtics Still Uncertain Despite Giannis Trade
