Team USA kicked off its quest for a fifth consecutive gold medal at Paris 2024 Olympic Games with a dominant win over Serbia in their opening match. However, questions arose when Jaylen Brown, a standout player for the Boston Celtics, was not included in the roster, while his teammate Derrick White was.
Boston Celtics guard and reigning NBA champion Derrick White stepped in for Kawhi Leonard, who has been sidelined with a chronic knee injury. This replacement sparked controversy, as many fans expected Jaylen Brown to fill Leonard’s spot instead of White.
Addressing the situation, White explained that despite the speculation, there were no hard feelings between him and Brown. In speaks with Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe, White recounted his conversation with Brown.
“Jaylen gave me a call and I was like, ‘Yeah, you didn’t need to call me. I know we’re good,’” said White, now a first-time Olympian. “He just wanted to clear things up, and I told him we’re all good. Never any problem or issue with us, for sure. He’s a hell of a player and I’ve never had a bad thing to say about JB.”
Derrick White #8 of Team United States drives to the basket against Vasilije Micic #22 of Team Serbia during the second half of the Men’s Group Phase – Group C game between Serbia and the United States. Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
Why is Jaylen Brown out of Team USA?
The controversy surrounding Brown’s exclusion from Team USA has taken a turn with the Celtics star and NBA Finals MVP pointing fingers at Nike. Brown has accused the sportswear giant of influencing his omission from the U.S. Dream Team for the Paris Olympics.
Following all this controversy that has been growing around Team USA and the Dream Team’s participation in the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, the team’s administration and management came out to clarify things.
Grant Hill, manager of the U.S. national team, explained the decision: “You have 12 openings and you have to build a team. And one of the hardest things is to leave people out of the squad that I’m a fan of and love to see during the season,” he began.
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“Guys who have been Finals MVP’s that I respect, admire and enjoy. But my responsibility is to put together a team where they complement each other,” he said.
