Published 18:49 IST, October 21st 2020
Jaylen Brown wanted to miss the NBA restart after grandfather's cancer diagnosis
In a recent interview, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown revealed that he was considering missing the NBA restart because of his grandfather's cancer diagnosis.
- SportFit
- 3 min read
While the Boston Celtics lost the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat, Jaylen Brown was the second-highest scorer during the postseason, racking up 21.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. In August, the 23-year-old guard spoke about life in the bubble being tough, elaborating on the isolation. Recently, Jaylen Brown revealed that before the NBA restart, he considered opting out.
Jaylen Brown's grandfather's health made Celtics star reconsider his season at the bubble
On a talk show on Tuesday, the shooting guard spoke about his grandfather being diagnosed with cancer, which made him want to miss the bubble in Orlando. He revealed that his grandfather – Willie Brown – has been living with him, and has needed his grandson. “He’s like a superhero,” Brown said, stating that his grandfather was the toughest guy he has known.
Brown explained that his grandfather had been to the Vietnam War, had been shot in the head two times, has had heart attacks, COVID-19 and everything "at the same time", only to beat it all. Initially, Brown did not want to return to the bubble, especially since Willie told him he was exhausted and done fighting. Brown explained that he agreed to go to the bubble if his grandfather kept fighting and did chemotherapy.
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“He liked the sound of that, and he signed up,” said Brown. Willie is "doing great now", Brown added, who even discussed his mother Michelle and the bubble. Brown also spoke about the Juice Foundation, determined to spread positive energy while promoting education. He was even gifted tea, which he claims to love, admitting that a big guy loving tea is a "strange dynamic".
Brown discussed life in the NBA bubble, which he had previously stated was difficult to adjust to. While he agreed that the bubble needed a lot of sacrifice, he understood that it turned out well in the end. As zero players tested positive while playing, Brown credited the league and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) for maintaining a safe environment. The Celtics star also discussed his community service, where he said receiving the NBA Community Assist Award had been a little "awkward" for him.
(Image credits: AP)
Updated 18:49 IST, October 21st 2020