2024 Finals MVP Jaylen Brown has been getting into it with 2021 Finals MVP Giannis Antetetokounmpo, and now one of the biggest brands in the Milwaukee Bucks superstar’s sponsorship portfolio has gotten involved.
During an eventual 113-107 Boston victory, the eight-time All-NBA honoree and two-time league MVP offered Brown a handshake before pulling his hand away when Brown went to shake it. The three-time Celtics All-Star initially called Antetokounmpo “a child” after the matchup.
Nike, Antetokounmpo’s sportswear partner since his 2013-14 rookie season, praised Antetokounmpo’s recent 59-point, 14-rebound, seven-assist effort in a 127-120 overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, while taking shots at Brown for the diss.
The three-time All-Star weighed in on the diss hilariously on his own personal X account, calling out the Oregon-based brand for having “weird energy.”
Yall got weird energy https://t.co/f8DTuq2YCQ
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) November 14, 2024
The 28-year-old has been in the midst of yet another stellar season for the 10-3 Celtics. He’s averaging 25.4 points on .424/.295/.764 shooting splits, 7.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.2 steals a night in his nine healthy matchups.
Brown may have been just the second-best player on Boston’s 2023-24 title team, but he enjoyed a more consistent run through the playoffs than the first-best player, five-time All-Star power forward Jayson Tatum.
The club has been getting along fine even without starting center Kristaps Porzingis for a single game this season. His backup, Al Horford, has been healthy in 11 of the Celtics’ first 13 contests. The 38-year-old is averaging 8.6 points on .493/.440/1.000 shooting splits, 5.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.0 steals and 0.6 steals a night in his 26.5 minutes per for the club. Now in his 18th season, Horford may be far removed from the five-time All-Star he was during his prime years with Boston and the Atlanta Hawks, but he remains a valuable two-way contributor even in his dotage. All-Defensive guards Derrick White and Jrue Holiday remain in their extended primes.
While playing 11 games for the 4-8 Bucks, the 6-foot-11 Antetokounmpo is averaging 33.3 points on 61.6 percent shooting from the field and 61 percent shooting from the charity stripe, 12.1 rebounds, 5.5 rebounds, 1.4 blocks and 0.5 steals a game.
Milwaukee needs an engaged Antetokounmpo to help it dig itself out of this early season hole. Luckily for the Bucks, all but three teams in the East (the Celtics, 13-0 Cleveland Cavaliers and 7-6 Orlando Magic) have sub-.500 records. So the competition for a playoff spot is still pretty lax.
