Grant Hill Responds to Jaylen Brown's Unhappiness Over Team USA Drama

Since winning the 2024 NBA Championship, it has been smooth sailing for the Boston Celtics. They re-signed Jayson Tatum and Derrick White and brought back all the key members of the roster. Vibes were good and the team looked poised to make a run at a back-to-back title next year.

Then the Team USA drama happened.

Kawhi Leonard withdrew from the Olympic team and Team USA replaced him with Derrick White. This incited a response from Jaylen Brown, who clearly expected to be the replacement. Jayson Tatum had a tepid response to all of this, causing more unnecessary drama for the Celtics.

Team USA executive director Grant Hill finally addressed the controversy. When asked about the exclusion of Brown from the roster, Hill highlighted how important it is for the team to complement each other.

"One of the hardest things is leaving people off the roster that I'm a fan of, that I look forward to watching throughout the season, throughout the playoffs. Guys who've been Finals MVP, guys who have been a part of the program, guys who've won gold medals. Guys who I respect, admire and enjoy watching. But the responsibility that I have is to put together a team and a team that complements each other."

- Team USA Director Grant Hill

That explanation for the decision deserves to be respected. A team doesn't consist of the 12 best American players. It has to fit together with clearly defined roles. Derrick White could have been perceived as a better fit as he wouldn't expect to play much and is a better off-ball player and shooter.

At the same time, Brown's frustration is also understandable. He was the best player on a dominant championship team and won the Finals MVP. Now, that team is sending three players (Jrue Holiday, Tatum, and White) to Team USA and he is not one of them. Any competitive, high-level athlete would want to be there and Brown is no different.

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