NBA champion, philanthropist, and entrepreneur—these three words capture Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. Often the unsung hero of the Boston Celtics, Brown returned to the court after a stellar season, instrumental in securing Boston’s 18th banner, now soaring high in the rafters. Despite his pivotal role, Brown’s exclusion from Team USA’s Paris Olympics roster reignited whispers of him being a “difficult teammate.” But teammate Payton Pritchard stood up for him then, and once again, it’s Pritchard who’s showing his support for Brown—this time, in a special way.

Jaylen Brown never steps away from speaking his mind. Therefore, critics often make him a soft target. Meanwhile, Pritchard defended the 28-year-old shooting guard. “People sometimes have this version of him that he’s a difficult teammate or difficult dude, which is not the case at all. I love Jaylen to death and I got so much respect for him and the type of person he is,” the 6’1″ guard had said.

And months later, just when Jaylen Brown’s 741 sneaker brand needed the boost, Payton Pritchard expressed his brotherhood. On Saturday’s game against the Charlotte Hornets again, Fastpp laced up JB’s 741 Rover Sneaker. Brown launched his signature shoe in September and surprisingly the 3x NBA All-Star doesn’t truly care whether or not his brand succeeds in the future. He said during the launch: “It would be great for it to be successful. But even if it’s not, who cares? I’m just kind of tired of seeing the same old things, the deals constructed the same way.”

Nonetheless, Payton Pritchard is doing enough to promote the 741 Rover sneakers. It is always great to see teammates standing up for each other. And it seems like despite Brown’s $50 million sacrifice, things are turning out to be great for his brand. Well, some credits definitely go to PP.

Jaylen Brown dropped $50 million in endorsement deals from major sneaker companies

JB isn’t in the race to succeed with his latest sneaker brand 741. He told Bleacher Report in September, “Hopefully in the next 20 years, even if this isn’t like super successful, that it sparks other athletes, other creators to have the courage to start to build stuff on their own.” Jaylen Brown launched his brand, calling it the product of boredom, adding a bold new chapter to his career.

However, as per the company press release, Jaylen turned down “$50 million in endorsement deals from major sneaker companies to pursue full ownership and creative control of his own brand.” JB has put in a lot of thought while coming up with the name 741. The brand is a statement of independence, creativity, and ownership. So, it’s clear why the Celtics‘ wingman chose creative freedom over a multi-million deal.

Well, the 2024/25 NBA season is on the roll. As expected, Jaylen Brown is doing everything in his power for the reigning champions. With an average of 25.7 points per game, the 28YO is posing a threat to the rivals. Amidst the heat of the game, sneaker brand 741 is gaining the spotlight, but slowly. Despite not chasing fame or success with the brand, JB wouldn’t mind if his dream project did well enough in years to come.