Nike is the Achilles heel of Jaylen Brown and vice versa. In all honesty, we might better describe their relationship as ‘complicated’. From the moment JB spoke out in support of Kyrie Irving in 2022, the on-and-off beef between one of the biggest hoopers of the NBA and the sports apparel giant began. In an ideal scenario, Brown would be in a contract with Nike, and he would have his own signature line. However, that’s not the case here. In fact, it was never the case. And the drama continues.

Following the first tweet against Nike, the NBA Finals MVP had a few more things to say to them, with the most recent one being blaming the Swoosh for his Olympic snub. And now, it seems like his new Instagram post might just be another diss at Nike.

Subtle yet well-aimed, JB captioned his post, “By the time they realize your worth..” Well, that’s one of the most creative open-ended statements. You have got to give credit where it’s due, yes? However, we cannot discount the alternative that Nike or other major sports brands might have just missed out on an opportunity to sign one of the elite stars of the NBA.

Clad in a striking new sneaker, Brown posted images of him working out. While he looked fit and ready to repeat their Championship season, the footwear, along with the caption, was what caught everyone’s attention!

Given that the location given on the post is Egypt, it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to assume that Brown is enjoying some quality off-season while ensuring his fitness schedule is maintained. After all, he had practically issued a challenge to the league during his recent chat with Monte Poole of the NBC Sports Bay Area. “Now we got the target on our back. Everybody’s trying to come after us and I’m like, ‘Come on.’” 

Going back to our topic at hand, if this really is a dig at Nike, then No. 7 has definitely upped his game.

Jaylen Brown’s past barbs at Nike!

Since the expiry of his contract with Adidas in 2021, JB hasn’t had a shoe deal. Considering Nike’s interest in top NBA names, the duo should have linked up way earlier. But if the $124 billion brand did have any plans to offer a deal after winning the Championship and becoming the Finals MVP, his Olympic snub dig effectively canceled those.

But the back-and-forth between the pair began two years before. As mentioned above, it all started after the Kai-anti-Semitic video issue. Although the world knew about Brown’s support for his ex-teammate through the Boston Globe, things escalated when Jaylen tweeted “Since when did Nike care about ethics?” after Chairman Phil Knight publicly criticized Irving’s actions.

There was nary a peep for quite some time, until, yup, the Olympics. Following his exclusion from the Paris Olympics (which was later magnified when teammate Derrick White was selected after Kawhi pulled out), Brown initially dropped a cryptic post, only posting, “🧐🧐🧐”

But it didn’t last long. The 3x All-Star soon made his intentions clear, when he tweeted, “@nike this is what we doing?” later in the day. Not satisfied, perhaps, Jaylen Brown took it to another level when he wrote, “I’m not afraid of you or your resources,” the next day. Although we are yet to understand the entire story or what led JB to accuse Nike of his Olympic snub, it’s clear that the Boston veteran believes the sports monolith had a hand in the whole shebang.

As for the above IG post, we have yet to confirm if Jaylen Brown finally landed a shoe deal or if it was just another dig at Nike. Whatever the reason behind the cryptic caption, his kicks are a fine, fine pair! Wouldn’t you say?

 Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.