Jaylen Brown Responds to Nike's Shade over Giannis Comment: 'Yall Got Weird Energy'

The latest chapter in the apparent beef between Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown and Nike just dropped.

After Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 59 points to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to a victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, Nike took to social media and posted "Nothing childish about 'em. 59 for the Greek freak."

It might have seemed innocuous on the surface, but it was a clear reference to comments Brown made after the Celtics' defeated the Bucks on Sunday. Antetokounmpo held his hand out for a high five from Brown just to pull it back at the last moment after the Bucks star committed an offensive foul with an elbow near his counterpart's head.

"Giannis is a child," Brown told reporters after the game. "I'm just focused on helping my team get a win, and that's what we did."

He also had some words for Nike on Thursday:

As Nick O'Malley of Boston.com detailed, this isn't the first Brown has weighed in when it comes to Nike.

He "made a series of veiled comments before claiming that the sneaker giant had a role in him being passed over for a spot on Team USA" for the 2024 Paris Olympics. That was notable since he was a sneaker free agent after his deal with Adidas expired and said he wouldn't sign with Nike just to help his chances at making the roster in the next Games.

"I'll say this," Brown said. "In 2028, if I have to sign to Nike to increase my likelihood to play USA Basketball, I'll pass."

Instead, he launched his own shoe brand, 741, this year and turned down more than $50 million from potential endorsement deals in the process.

If nothing else, this is another storyline for the next time the Celtics and Bucks face each other in an Eastern Conference showdown. Boston already won the first two matchups this season, and the two teams face each other for the final time in the regular season on Dec. 6.

The two teams figure to be top contenders in the East, but only the Celtics are playing like it so far with a 10-3 record. By comparison, the Bucks are just 4-8 and on the outside of the playoff picture looking in at this point.

Perhaps there will be a playoff matchup down the line, which may just inspire more posts from Nike.