Stephen A. Reacts to Jaylen Brown's Trending Video, Warns Celtics Star About Potential Reporting

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith is rarely one to let a perceived slight slide, and the recent comments directed his way by Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown are no exception.

During Monday's episode of First Take, Smith addressed a recent live stream by the 2024 NBA Finals MVP.

"Jaylen Brown, be careful what you wish for. You really want me to start reporting on that level? You understand? Locker room, how the organization might think about you, how the city may feel about you, how Jayson Tatum may or may not feel about you, sneaker deals, endorsement deals, the list goes on and on. The season is over bro. You're on Twitch trying to do what I do and talking about me needing to step away. It makes no sense."

The remarks start at the 5:22 mark of the clip below:

During a Twitch session from Brown on Sunday, the conversation turned to Smith, who had criticized him earlier for his assessment of the officiating in a first-round exit to the Philadelphia 76ers.

At one point, Brown said, "F--k Stephen A." and called him "the face of clickbait media" while calling for him to retire.

"And maybe with his retirement, we could spark a movement to get the rest of these motherf--kers out of here," Brown said. "Or to also have some type of, forget journalistic integrity, actual integrity in order to hold themselves accountable to the bulls--t takes they put out with no basis, no bias, no information. Just narrative. Just for the sake of just pushing a weak narrative. Just purely out of that."

Smith's insinuations broadly allude to how Brown's long-term future in Boston is a little murky heading into the summer.

For a long time, the 29-year-old was the notable piece going out the door in trade constructions intended to land the Celtics a marquee star. Those conversations stopped once the franchise got over the hump and won its 18th title.

Now, we're right back where we started on the heels of Boston's series loss to Philly.

Brown also raised some eyebrows when he described this year as his "favorite season." Beyond the fact the Celtics experienced a disappointing playoff outcome, that could be read as him saying he ultimately prefers not having to share the spotlight with Tatum, who missed most of the regular season while recovering from an Achilles injury.

The Athletic's Sam Amick and Eric Nehm juxtaposed this all against the possibility for Boston to make a run at Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Brown and Antetokounmpo are making similar money, so a swap is straightforward from that standpoint.

That's not to say the trade is definitely happening. The most obvious hitch there is that Brown doesn't provide a great fit for a Bucks franchise that's entering a rebuild.

But for as much as the five-time All-Star may not like Smith stirring the pot, he should get used to being at the center for some of the NBA's biggest off-court storylines in the weeks ahead.