TIME author goes behind the scenes on Jaylen interview

TIME writer goes behind the scenes on Jaylen interview initially appeared on NBC Sports Boston

It was an eventful offseason for Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, to say the least.

The 2024 NBA Finals MVP was left off Team USA’s Paris Olympics roster, however he deserves a gold medal for his off-the-court efforts. He obtained himself into even better shape for the brand new season, released a new song, and launched a new performance brand whereas touring the world and persevering with his philanthropic work.

In just a few months, Brown went from supposedly lacking marketability to gracing the cover of TIME magazine. The author who profiled Brown for the quilt story, Sean Gregory, joined Chris Forsberg on the newest Celtics Discuss Podcast to share his greatest takeaways from the interview.

🔊 Celtics Discuss: Behind the scenes on Jaylen Brown’s TIME journal cowl story, and recapping the Abu Dhabi journey | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube

“You by no means know with people who do the philanthropy how actual it’s and the way honest (they’re). Individuals went out of their manner, which gave me consolation, to be like, ‘It is not performative.’ Like, Jaylen Brown actually cares about these things,” Gregory stated.

“This is an change that form of (stood out). I can not pronounce the phrase, panopticism or one thing? It was actually telling that he began to present a response — I went again and listened, and it was fantastic, however he was so hell-bent on nailing it that he had a good friend who’s form of, I get the sense, a man who helps handle him and suppose stuff by means of, who was kind of listening in. … He form of butted in somewhat bit and stated, ‘Hey, can we cease and speak this by means of?’

“I included it as a result of I believe it is simply telling about how he is form of — issues are calculated. He cares about getting these things proper. He might’ve simply babbled his manner by means of and it could’ve been fantastic, however he mentioned what he wished to say together with his good friend.

“… I do not suppose he was going out of his strategy to be like, ‘I must sound sensible right here.’ I believe he went out of his strategy to be like, ‘I wish to be proper and I wish to be correct.’ And I appreciated that. I simply thought it was telling.”

Gregory additionally shared what he realized about Brown from different people he interviewed. Considered one of them was a lecturer within the African American research program at Brown’s alma mater, UC Berkeley.

“I spoke to a good friend of his, Ameer Loggins. He made an fascinating level about how this summer time, which in lots of circumstances — he had a hurdle this summer time with the Olympics stuff. Nevertheless it did not cease him from having fun with this summer time,” he stated. “He did what he wished to do. He is doing the underwater aerobics, he will Mecca, I believe his girlfriend and him took a second journey to the Center East.

“So he form of leaned into, ‘I am the MVP, I’ve obtained numerous disposable revenue, and I’ll expertise the world.’ And he did not let the frustration of the Olympic factor dispel or take away from what he completed, which I believe when you’re a Celtics fan, you want listening to that. He is nonetheless engaged on his recreation, he is nonetheless hungry, and he loved the fruits of his labor as a substitute of letting it get him down.”

Additionally within the episode:

• Forsberg shares his expertise touring to Abu Dhabi with the crew final week and breaks down what he noticed from the Celtics of their first two preseason video games.

• Sean Gregory particulars the method of interviewing Jaylen Brown for TIME and what he realized from the Celtics star.

• What did Gregory be taught concerning the relationship between Brown and Jayson Tatum?

• Gregory discusses what stunned him most about his interview with Brown.

• Any widespread thread Gregory discovered between the entire top-level athletes throughout completely different sports activities?