LeBron James Defends Jaylen Brown After Austin Rivers Rips Anonymous Sources, 'PUT A FKN NAME ON IT'

LeBron James has joined the chorus of NBA people defending Jaylen Brown in the wake of the seemingly low trade cost the Boston Celtics got for the five-time All-Star when they sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers.

In response to a video by former NBA player Austin Rivers ripping anonymous sources who are critical of Brown, James responded on Instagram with a caption: "PUT A FKN NAME ON IT!"

When the Celtics agreed to take back Paul George and a package of four draft picks, including two first-rounders, for Brown, it resulted in a lot of discussion about the 2024 NBA Finals MVP's value.

The debate actually started before the trade after ESPN's Bobby Marks said on SiriusXM NBA radio there were "mixed" opinions on Brown from people within the league, including one analytics person who said he is the seventh-best player on a team.

While that is an absurd take to have about a player who just finished sixth in MVP voting, it does speak to Brown being a hard evaluation for teams.

Brown's game is not one that stands out in this particular era of NBA basketball. He's not a strong three-point shooter, doesn't get to the free-throw line at a high rate and is a low assist-high turnover player.

There are reasons to think Brown can be better in some areas when he is the focal point. Last season, for instance, saw Brown set career-highs in free-throw attempts per game (7.5) and assists per game (5.1) with Jayson Tatum out for most of the year rehabbing a torn Achilles.

The downside, though, is Brown also set a career-high with 3.6 turnovers per game in 2025-26. It becomes especially hard to evaluate his true value when he is already earning a max salary in this apron era where teams are more conscious of how much they are spending due to the restrictions imposed if they cross financial thresholds.

Brown is owed more than $183 million over the next three seasons on his current contract. He would have been eligible to extend for two years and $142 million with the Celtics this offseason.

Despite being a player who has five All-Star selections, two All-NBA appearances and a Finals MVP on his resume, Brown still finds himself in a position needing to prove himself.

The Sixers will happily be the ones to reap the rewards of a highly motivated Brown as they chase the defending champion New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference.