Jaylen Brown has made his Nike stance very clear and doesn’t care if it costs him an Olympics berth.
Brown wasn’t selected to suit up for the Team USA at the Paris Olympics, despite him winning ECF MVP and Finals MVP.
He wasn’t too happy about it though, and called out the team manager, as well as Nike for the snub.
More recently, he said he won’t sign with the sneaker giant, even if thats means he’ll be looked on more favborably for a spot on Team USA for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
“In 2028, if I have to sign to Nike to increase my likelihood to play USA basketball, I’ll pass… I think shoe companies should have less control over the industry… Politics is not synonymous with basketball,” Brown said in an appearance on The Stephen A. Smith Show.
Brown went on to explain that he believes that shoe companies have way too much control over basketball and that the focus needs to shift.
“I believe that we should focus more on our development of our youth and grassroots, and I think sports shoe companies should have less control over the industry,” Brown added. “Right now, I was one of those kids, you know, I was a top player, No. 1 actually. You came to one of my high school games, I remember that. I was a top player in high school, and there was so much to deal with –Nike, Adidas, going to an Adidas school, going to a Nike school — and kids should just be focusing on development.”
Brown feels so strongly about this, that he created his own launched his debut performance brand, 741, which will feature his own signature sneaker.
Brown reportedly turned down over $50 million in endorsement deals from major sneaker companies for full ownership and creative control of his own brand.