Jaylen Brown speaks on Breonna Taylor and the need for change

At his media availability Sunday evening, Jaylen Brown wouldn’t let it come to a close without addressing an off-court issue.

It had nothing to do with playing in a global pandemic or living for the next three months in the Orlando bubble, but a topic the 23-year-old Celtics forward has become much more fully involved with and passionate about.

Brown ended his Zoom press conference with reporters by speaking eloquently about the killing of Breonna Taylor and the need for social justice reform in the United States.

“We see the improvements being made but I feel like continuing to have people speak on these things and continue to have them talk it is going to be important,” Brown said. “For us, equality is demanded and Black Lives Matter and Breonna Taylor is an example of a black life who was taken because of how the system has been laid out.”

While NBA players are using their elevated platform to speak out on racial injustice or putting a phrase or a word on the back of their jersey in place of their last name, Brown isn’t convinced yet that he’ll do the latter.

“I’m still trying to contemplate on how I necessarily feel about what I should put on the back of my jersey,” Brown said. “It’s kind of tough to epitomize all the feelings and emotions and everything you are passionate about into one word, especially on the list that was given.”

Brown also used his time with the media to speak about civil rights legend John Lewis, who passed away Friday at the age of 80. Lewis was a U.S. Representative for Georgia and Brown is from Marietta, Georgia, but said he never got to meet the iconic Lewis.

“Just as a civil rights leader and and humanity leader, his contributions not to just people of color, but our society in general, are appreciating and welcome.”