After signing a historic $304 million extension, Jaylen Brown set out on a valiant goal. He wanted to bring back ‘Black Wall Street’ in Boston. Living up to his vows, Brown launched Boston XChange, an initiative to help empower underserved communities and bridge the vast wealth gaps in the city. But why stop at Boston?
Only days after the Boston initiative, Brown, in collaboration with Dallas Maverick’s head coach Jason Kidd has launched the Oakland XChange. The aim remains the same, to improve the community and help upscale underrepresented businesses. To do so, the reigning Finals rivals let their common love for Oakland make possible the launch of the empowerment initiative.
Through the Oakland XChange, Jaylen Brown and Kidd hope to raise $5 billion to assist the community and its businesses by providing the resources and knowledge necessary to grow their projects. Additionally, they are also partnering with Oakstop, an organization that has worked to develop the Oakland community over the past 10 years.
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Their primary motive is to raise sufficient funds to buy real estate assets that will be dedicated as space for creator businesses.
“Giving resources back to our community and allowing them to have opportunities, I think, is key. The wealth gap is widening in other places of the US, not just Boston, so to be able to invest in our community is important,” said Jaylen Brown, an alumnus of the University of California.
Jason Kidd also celebrated the initiative as an ‘off-court championship’ in partnership with Brown. The Hall of Fame point guard is a native of Oakland and has invested heavily in the community.
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Jaylen Brown remains mute on Team USA’s gold conquest
While it’s been a busy week for Jaylen Brown, it has been a memorable one for Team USA. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams that traveled to Paris achieved the expected gold medals. Likewise, the NBA community was bursting with pride. Brown’s teammates, Jayson Tatum, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday all were a part of the gold medal roster.
But even then, probably alluding to his ongoing rift with USAB, Jaylen Brown didn’t release any statement over the team’s Paris success. In the past, the Celtics Finals MVP has criticized the board for excluding him from the squad. Furthermore, he went as far as igniting a war with Nike, pinning them for his snub.
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However, despite getting off on the wrong foot, team director Grant Hill has left the door open for Jaylen Brown to join the 2028 Olympic team when the competition will be held in Los Angeles. The 27-year-old community leader is yet to have made his allegiance clear. But after Tatum’s lackluster Paris experience, there is a chance the Boston pair decide against participating in 2028.
Do you think Jaylen Brown will ever play in the Olympics for Team USA? Let us know your honest views in the comments below.