Fans Rally Behind ‘Robbed’ Jaylen Brown as Derrick White Joins Team USA in Abu Dhabi for Paris Olympics

The 2024 Olympics is set to commence in two weeks from now. Prior to the Paris trip, Team USA is currently in the middle of participating in 5 exhibition games in three venues. Having defeated Canada, they will now go up against Australia and Serbia in Abu Dhabi. Earlier today, Derrick White was amongst the late arrivals to the team’s base for the next few days. While other members were welcomed by the traditional Emirati Ayyala dance, the Celtic was only greeted by an individual before being escorted to his dorm.

However, the reception that he got was still warmer than the sendoff that he was given from the folks back home. That criticism, however, hasn’t ended yet, even in the slightest. One fan proceeded to highlight that Derrick White’s presence is nothing more than an indication that Jaylen Brown was once again “robbed” of the chance to represent his country in the Olympics. He was brought in as Kawhi’s replacement after his right knee inflammation did not allow him to continue.

White’s call-up was immediately flooded with backlash by many who wanted to see JB occupy the vacant spot. This reasoning stemmed from the contribution that he and Jayson Tatum made in the recent NBA season, which allowed the Celtics to clinch the Larry O’ Brien trophy for the first time since 2008. An average scoreline of 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.3 assists also got him the Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP trophy!

While Derrick White also played a significant in the Celtics’ Championship run, many have been bemused why Jaylen Brown’s recent performances haven’t earned him a spot on the international roster, including the player himself.

Jaylen Brown had himself pitched his name to join the Olympics squad while it was being finalized earlier this year. When White was announced as Leonard’s replacement, the 27-year-old was quick to react with the ‘Monocle Emoji’ tweet. Later on, he blamed the snub on a single entity, stating, “@nike this what we doing?” Given their role as the kit sponsor for Team USA, combined with the history that he shares with the billion-dollar sports apparel organization, Brown was quick to criticize them.

Derrick White is yet to win over the fans’ trust after the unexpected reality with his own teammate Jaylen Brown

As it would later be found out, Jaylen Brown wasn’t the only individual unhappy from the snub. Many other fans also descended onto the comments section to make their voices heard. One of them outright questioned, “This is really the best we could do? Lol.” After all, since they are seeking a 5th consecutive Gold, nothing should be left to chance.

After JB made his controversial remarks about Nike, Team USA’s Managing Director Grant Hill was quick to put out a statement. He emphasized that the final pick to replace Kawhi was chosen solely on the basis of merit. Even though this meant for him to leave “people off the roster that I’m a fan of, that I look forward to watching throughout the season, throughout the playoffs”, it was Hill’s responsibility to form a team “that complements each other” and holds a better chance of winning, together.

Another social media user highlighted that neither Nike nor Grant Hill were responsible for Jaylen Brown. Rather, it was one of the two most experienced Olympians on the squad; LeBron James! Despite the fact that Bron possesses 4 Finals MVP titles to his name, the commenter was of the opinion, “LeBron is threatened by Finals MVP.”

The 39-year-old was amongst the first people to react after Jaylen Brown won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Taking to his official X account, the 39-year-old put out a statement that read, “@FCHWPO !!! Keep going Young (crown emoji)! RESPECT!” Therefore, it wouldn’t really make sense if the All-Time NBA Scorer allegedly kept Jaylen Brown out just out of ‘spite’.

Judging from his entrance, Derrick White gave off the impression to at least one observer that his current situation would have been the last place he would have expected to find himself in!

While everyone from Jaylen Brown to Stephen A. Smith have shared their thoughts on the replacement decision, the man in question, Derrick White himself, has remained silent. However, according to Grant Hill, “He (White) wanted to be here like all these guys want to be here.” In that case, what more needs to be said?

Amidst all the criticism, however, there were also some who were glad to see the 30-year-old point guard be a part of his first ever Olympics. One individual highlighted, “The CHAMP @Dwhite921 is ready to join fellow CHAMPS @Jrue_Holiday11 and @jaytatum0! Have a great time with @usabasketball! Go get that GOLD!”

A scoreline averaging 15.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 5.2 assists that White secured during the playoffs shouldn’t be overlooked. Jaylen Brown himself sang the player’s praise by stating “If you don’t know Derrick White, you better get to know him” in the aftermath of Game 1 of the Conference Semifinals.

JB also added that “This is a new version (of Derrick White) that we haven’t seen before.” Therefore, what better place to test this new version of DW, in the most prestigious tournament itself?

Overall, while there was some support for White, the majority of the reactions saw fans turning against him.

Before leaving, be sure to check out some insights that Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, shared about the Lakers legend’s infamous feud with the late Kobe Bryant.