Jaylen Brown to Speak at Harvard, Will Discuss Social Issues, Advocacy

Boston Celtics shooting guard Jaylen Brown will speak at Harvard University on Thursday night as part of the school's Graduate School of Education speaker series.

According to ESPN.com's Chris Forsberg, Brown will talk about his basketball career as well as social topics, including why he believes athletes should use their standing to advocate for change.

Brown expressed excitement for the engagement, saying: "To be honest, I'm overwhelmed. I've been preparing mentally for it, so I'm looking forward to it. ... I don't know necessarily what to expect in terms of what the crowd will be or the expectations, but I've got some interesting ideas and I can't wait to share them."

In January, Harvard Education tweeted at Brown and invited him to speak at the school:

When asked if he was interested, Brown responded, "Absolutely!"

Harvard contacted Brown following his participation in a profile for the Guardian prior to a January game in London between the Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers.

Brown spoke with Donald McRae on a number of issues, including his thoughts on racism.

In the interview, Brown said that United States President Donald Trump has "made it a lot more acceptable for racists to speak their minds."

Brown also discussed his upbringing and his desire to advocate for social change.

The 21-year-old Georgia native declined to say exactly what he intends to speak about at Harvard, saying only, "You'll have to be there to see it."

Brown attended the University of California at Berkeley for one year before the Celtics made him the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft.

His improvement in his second season has been a big reason for Boston's success in 2017-18, as Brown is averaging 14.1 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.