Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown expressed frustration in his first comments since being ejected from Tuesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. After Thursday’s tough loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Brown expressed regret for players who try to manipulate referees with “foul bait” and get to the free throw line.
[Draft your Yahoo Fantasy Baseball team for the 2026 MLB Season]
Brown, 29, said he doesn’t participate in such drills, which he believes are inconsistent with how the game should be played, ESPN reported.
“So it’s like, we praise players for playing the game the right way, but we give credit to people who are necessarily trying to manipulate the game to get an advantage. I just don’t think that’s basketball. Let’s just play basketball. All the foul baiting, I think that’s what’s important to me.”
Brown’s comments came after he was ejected from the game following an argument with officials over a no-call. During the game, Brown believed he should have been fouled after being knocked out of bounds with less than four minutes left in the second quarter. He received two technical fouls for the altercation and was ejected from the game. That didn’t sit well with Brown, who took to social media at halftime to express his displeasure with the way the game was named.
advertise
Brown also expressed his displeasure shortly after the Celtics narrowly defeated the Thunder 104-102 on Thursday. In this game, Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander created a record-breaking performance. He surpassed Wilt Chamberlain and became the most player to score at least 20 points in consecutive NBA games.
Gilgeous-Alexander happens to be one of the people at the center of the “foul bait” debate, with some believing he seeks out and exaggerates contact in order to get to the free throw line. Gilgeous-Alexander ranks third in free throw attempts per game with 9.2.
Brown didn’t specifically mention Gilgeous-Alexander after the Celtics loss.
advertise
This is probably a good thing. In this particular game, Brown managed to get more free throw opportunities. He made 14 free throws in the game and made 13 free throws. Gilgeous-Alexander went to the free throw line eight times and made seven free throws.
While Brown said he may have to consider more losses after Thursday’s game, he’s done a good job without employing that strategy this season. In 59 games, Brown averaged a career-high 28.4 points and 7.1 rebounds. He found himself firmly in the conversation for league MVP… even without trying to draw more fouls in his favor.
