Jaylen Brown wants athletes to have a bigger voice

During the offseason, Jaylen Brown spent some time in Malaga, Spain with the National Basketball Players’ Association which also included a sit down with former Celtic Evan Turner and Andre Iguodala to record an episode of the “Point Forward” podcast, along with Executive Committee member Donovan Mitchell.

Brown has never shied away from difficult conversations and is establishing himself as a thought leader for change and an entrepreneur in his own right. Where most of us see those as two different entities, Brown believes the two can co-exist, especially as an athlete with a platform.

“I think it should be more normalized,” Brown said. “I think sometimes, it’s a fear attached to being vocal, having political agendas, or talking about things that are controversial. But in my opinion, athletes got the most influence in the world. When you’re able to speak on these certain things, things move, things change, and how the system is set up, a lot of different things.”

As one of the league’s best players, Brown is acutely aware of his opportunity and the change it can help bring. He has been a vocal figure in the fight for social justice and equality. He’s marched in Atlanta in support of the Black Lives Matter movement and issued statements in the face of adversity despite the potential backlash of being an athlete who speaks on social matters. Brown wants his legacy to be more than what he accomplishes on a basketball court.

“The more we understand how to make decisions and understand our value and speak on certain things, the more we’ll be able to control our own narrative.”

With such a big presence comes expectations, especially as an elite athlete who is in a tax bracket most people can only dream of. For many, it’s easier to play the part, to do what is expected of you, and go about your day. Yet, Brown refused to be swayed by external expectations and social norms, in part because of a promise he made to himself upon entering the league and joining the Celtics.

“I’m unapologetically black. I’m going to be who I am from day one to the end. I’m professional, and I handle myself accordingly. But for the most part, I’m just going to just be myself. And I made that promise to myself that I wasn’t going to change or alter who I was for…