Tracy McGrady is clarifying his comments about Jaylen Brown.
After previously saying he believed Brown’s frustration “lies deeply within the organization,” McGrady said Saturday on NBC’s “NBA Showtime” that Brown had not personally told him he was frustrated with the Celtics. Instead, McGrady said he was speaking as an analyst based on what he had observed publicly.
“I haven’t
talked to Jaylen at all about this,” McGrady said. “I just know my friend, and when I see certain things, I see frustration.”
Quite the change-up from what T-Mac said earlier this week.
McGrady’s initial comments, made on “Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady,” quickly made the rounds after the Celtics’ season ended with a first-round loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. In the clip, McGrady said Brown’s frustration “lies deeply within the organization” and referenced “a lot of stuff” he had been hearing around the Celtics organization and Brown.
McGrady has a long-standing relationship with Brown, so it was easy to understand why those comments were interpreted as more than an outside read. McGrady’s wording sure made it seem like he was passing along something Brown had told him directly.
On Saturday, McGrady pushed back on that idea.
“I’m part of the media, so if I see something, I’m gonna speak about it,” McGrady said. “I think they haven’t really separated my friendship versus me being an analyst and talking about this. It was nothing that we had a conversation about.”
McGrady pointed to Brown’s public comments after Game 7, including Brown saying he found out shortly before tip that Jayson Tatum would not play, as well as Brown’s post-elimination Twitch comments about officiating, which resulted in a $50,000 fine from the NBA.
“Because I have a relationship with Jaylen, I know him and I know how he acts,” McGrady said. “So, watching this series, how it unfolds, watching the behavior change and uncharacteristics of who I know Jaylen is, so it looked like he was frustrated to me.”
That is a very different thing than reporting that Brown privately expressed frustration with the Celtics organization, something both Jaylen and Brad Stevens had to deny in streaming and media appearances, respectively.
McGrady is certainly allowed to interpret what he sees. After all, that’s part of the job. But this is also where modern sports discourse can get messy. A comment from someone with a personal relationship to a player that sounds rooted in truth can quickly turn into a bigger story, especially when it involves a star player, a disappointing playoff exit and an offseason already filled with trade speculation.
Brown has repeatedly pushed back against questions about his future. After Boston’s season ended, he called this past year his favorite and said he would stay in Boston for another decade if the decision were up to him.
McGrady and Brown have known each other for years, which is exactly why McGrady’s original comments carried weight. It is also why the clarification was necessary.
T-Mac may still believe Brown looked frustrated. Given the way Boston’s season ended, that would not exactly be shocking. But according to McGrady, Brown never told him that directly.
If this is any indication of how conversations around Brown will be handled this summer, it’s going to be a very long offseason in Boston.
