Over the last few weeks, Jaylen Brown and Stephen A. Smith have had a rather public beef. The reason you ask? Because of the veteran analyst’s initial comments on Live TV about an anonymous source telling him that Brown is not liked around the league. Sure enough, Brown has not let go of that statement as he has frequently been asking Stephen A. to reveal his source, even wearing “State Your Source” T-shirt to the Celtics’ Championship parade. And as the two go back and forth, the plot has thickened even more after Smith recently accused JB of not abiding by former President Barack Obama’s plea during a tough time.

Addressing Brown’s recent snub from Team USA on The Stephen A. Smith Show, the veteran analyst cited his rumored lack of likeness as one of the major reasons why Derrick White booked the trip to Paris before him. To back his claim, Stephen A. even revealed a shocking story that has caught his ear going around in the basketball circle, “I am saying those people out there whoever they are, pointed to likeability or lack of stubbornness, doing things his way. I had somebody telling me, don’t even know how true this is, they actually said to me, during the COVID-19 thing, he (Jaylen Brown) got a call from Obama, as in former President Obama, asking if he’d take the vaccine and he said No.”

While the analyst admitted that he had no idea how true this was as he had no confirmation from either Brown or Obama, he just wanted to show the Celtics superstar the kind of things that are being said about him around the league. Obviously, this story likely stems from the fact that Brown did not publicly reveal his vaccination status during the pandemic. And when asked about it two years ago while the season was on, he chose to keep it confidential for a specific reason, “As a Vice President of the players’ association, it’s a part of my job description to protect our players’ rights and our medical privacy, so you won’t hear me comment on my status or anybody else’s.” But Stephen A. claims that such stories might be stopping Brown from becoming a marketable athlete in many people’s eyes.

Stephen A. Smith asks the tough questions about Jaylen Brown’s snub

While it might look like Stephen A. is not on Brown’s side because of the recent accusation, he is actually trying to show him the bigger picture. “I told y’all weeks ago Jaylen Brown wasn’t liked. And everybody took it like I was throwing shade on Jaylen Brown. Do you believe me now?” Smith questioned his viewers and maybe even the Celtics superstar. Had the decision been purely based on basketball skills, there is no plausible reason as to why three Celtics players were selected in Team USA ahead of Brown, who was the Finals MVP and arguably the best player on the roster in their Championship run.

Moreover, with Kawhi withdrawing from the tournament, Brown would have been a more apt replacement instead of White because they have similar skills. And even Stephen A. believes that, “You’re replacing Kawhi Leonard. He was a wing player, Jaylen Brown’s a wing player. He’s a prolific scorer, Jaylen Brown is a prolific scorer. Derrick White just finished averaging fifteen a game.” Without a doubt, White is an amazing player and was key in Boston’s success, but that still doesn’t explain how he was a better replacement for Kawhi over the most recent Finals MVP. Maybe Stephen A. Smith has been right all along. Do you agree? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

Before you go, do not forget to check out Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, to open up about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud. Keep checking this space for more such updates.