Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown went on a lengthy rant against the NBA and its officiating during a livestream on Sunday evening. The stream, broadcast on Twitch, came one day after Brown and the Celtics were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Philadelphia 76ers.
Brown Calls Out Embiid's Flopping
The Sixers were led by Joel Embiid's 34 points and 12 rebounds in a 109-100 victory. Brown alleged that Embiid embellished contact and that officials bought into it. 'Flopping has ruined our game,' Brown said. 'Embiid is a great player, one of the best bigs in basketball history, but he flops. He knows it.'
Alleged Retaliatory Officiating
Brown suggested his prior criticism of referees during the regular season led to an officiating agenda against him. 'They clearly had an agenda,' he claimed. 'I was critical of the refs in the regular season, and they responded by calling offensive fouls on me every time.' Brown said he spoke to referees who admitted to targeting him based on reputation.
He was particularly incensed that similar plays by other stars, like Paul George and Jalen Brunson, were not called. 'It's a basketball play. Everybody does that when you drive. But Philly took advantage of the officiating. It cost us to some degree.'
Statistical Evidence
In the first round, Brown was whistled for ten offensive fouls, more than double the next-highest player. During the regular season, he had 40 offensive fouls, second only to Karl-Anthony Towns. In the final game, Brown scored 33 points with nine rebounds. He averaged 28.7 points per game this season, fourth-best in the league.
