Celtics middle Al Horford recalled that the pace of the N.B.A. recreation was “really, really fast” for Brown throughout his rookie season in 2016-17. But now, “he just completely understands the things that he needs to do on the floor,” Horford mentioned.
Brown made his second All-Star group this season, and his career-best 26.8 factors a recreation locations him among the many high guards in scoring. He might be a free agent after subsequent season, however he mentioned he isn’t fascinated by that but. “I’ve been able to make a lot of connections in the city, meet a lot of amazing families who have dedicated their lives to issues about change,” he mentioned.
Brown, who’s Black, has spoken publicly about racism in Boston, the place about half the inhabitants is white and a few quarter is Black. In 2015, a jolting examine from the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston estimated that the Black households within the Boston space had a median wealth of near zero, whereas the determine for white households was $247,500. “The wealth disparity in Boston is ridiculous,” Brown mentioned.
What has your expertise been like as a Black skilled athlete in Boston?
There’s a number of experiences: as an athlete, as a basketball participant, as a daily civilian, as any individual who’s making an attempt to begin a enterprise, as somebody who’s making an attempt to do issues locally.
There’s not a whole lot of room for folks of coloration, Black entrepreneurs, to come back in and begin a enterprise.
I believe that my expertise there was not as fluid as I believed it will be.
What do you imply by that?
Even being an athlete, you’ll assume that you simply’ve obtained a specific amount of affect to have the ability to have experiences, to have the ability to have some issues that doorways open slightly bit simpler. But even with me being who I’m, making an attempt to begin a enterprise, making an attempt to purchase a home, making an attempt to do sure issues, you run into some adversity.
Other athletes have spoken concerning the detrimental method that followers have handled Black athletes whereas taking part in in Boston. Have you skilled any of that?
I’ve, however I just about block all of it out. It’s not the entire Celtic fan base, however it is part of the fan base that exists inside the Celtic nation that’s problematic. If you’ve got a foul recreation, they tie it to your private character.
I undoubtedly assume there’s a bunch or an quantity inside the Celtic nation that’s extraordinarily poisonous and doesn’t wish to see athletes use their platform, or they only need you to play basketball and entertain and go house. And that’s an issue to me.
Activism
Erik Moore, the founding father of the enterprise capital agency Base Ventures, mentored Brown in school after Brown interned at his firm. He mentioned Brown was at all times centered on social justice. “It’s not new or shocking or weird,” Moore mentioned. “It’s just who he is.”
In April 2020, Brown wrote an op-ed for The Guardian decrying societal inequalities uncovered by the coronavirus pandemic. The subsequent month, he donated $1,000 to the political motion committee Grassroots Law, which, in accordance with its web site, fights “to end oppressive policing, incarceration, and injustice.” Weeks later, Brown drove 15 hours to Atlanta from Boston to protest the police killing of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis.
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