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Jaylen Brown continued his Twitch stream rants and recently stated, “F–k Stephen A.” The 2024 NBA Finals MVP even added another jab for the ESPN veteran, “the face of clickbait media”. SAS naturally responded on First Take and warned JB about exposing how the former players actually think about him. Kendrick Perkins, who has allegiance to both the Boston Celtics and ESPN, took the side of Stephen A. and leaked the chats to prove the point.

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“I get another text that says ‘Hey, JB trippin,'” Perkins said on First Take. “Another text from a former Celtics player that said, ‘JB, lack of accountability.’ Right? JB, guess what? It’s a lot of people in the organization, a lot of former players, legends, that don’t agree with you, bro! They don’t like the way that this looks. This instance, I can’t rock with you, JB. Guess what? There’s a lot of former Celtic players that’s not rocking with you either.”

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To begin his segment, former Celtics champion Perkins asked the host, Shae Cornette, to read a message from another former Boston player. “Former Celtic here. Keep speaking the facts. Pound emoji. Much respect,” Cornette read. It was close to a 4-minute monologue, where Perkins made a lot of statements to prove his point that everyone associated with the franchise does not love Jaylen Brown’s actions. The former champion even speculated that his former teammate, Kevin Garnett, who was announced as a special guest, also avoided going on Twitch with JB for this reason.

“And you leaving off of that series saying that that was your favorite season wasn’t something that needed to be said publicly. I just think it caused friction,” Perkins hinted at what could have caused friction in the relationship with former players and Jaylen Brown. This also adds another chapter to the Stephen A. Smith and JB feud.

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It began when the Celtics star was on his Twitch stream, criticizing the officials after the first-round exit in Game 7. Smith felt it was a lack of accountability and didn’t think it warranted a stream.

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JB tweeted out, “I’ll “be quiet” / stop streaming if you “be quiet” and retire let’s give the people what they want.” Since then, the back and forth continued. Recently, the ESPN broadcaster even questioned why Tatum agreed to appear on First Take but on JB’s Twitch. The Celtics star took exception to this and began another rant, and asked Smith to retire again.

Jaylen Brown fired back at Smith

When Smith questioned why Brown hadn’t had his co-star, Jayson Tatum, on his livestream, Brown fired back. “This is a narrative that he’s creating. This isn’t journalism.” Brown said “This is him making his own opinion and formulizing it about what I have to say, on his platform. And this is why, respectfully, a lot of people say, ‘F–k Stephen A.’. Tell this motherf–ker to retire, because he’s the face of clickbait media.” While he called for retirement, Smith responded with a “cheap” jab.

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“First things first, Jaylen Brown, before I even get into it, could you do me a favor, please? Get your a– a studio,” he said on ESPN’s First Take before Perkins leaked the statements from former players. “Get a studio with a director and a producer. That’s number one. Stop being so damn cheap you pick some 20-second clip of me talking about how Jayson Tatum showed up on first take, but not your podcast. Stop it.” This is a long-standing beef, which continues to grow.

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It began in 2024, when JB won the Finals MVP award, but Stephen A. insisted that sources told him that the Celtics star wasn’t “marketable”. Brown responded on social media, writing “state your source” as a strong reply to Smith. The two then had a face-to-face interview in October 2024 and even wore the t-shirt with the same three words. They hatched it back then, but now in 2026, the war of words continues.

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Pranav Kotai

2,904 Articles

Pranav Kotai is an editor at EssentiallySports, specializing in basketball coverage with a focus on trade dynamics and front-office decision-making. Having previously worked on the Trade Desk vertical, he brought clarity to how salary cap pressures and roster needs shape NBA transactions. His insightful coverage of the Philadelphia 76ers’ decision to hold firm on Joel Embiid amid trade speculation highlights how market context and team strategy influence major roster moves. Before joining EssentiallySports, Pranav holds experience of skills in professional writing, editorial work, and digital content creation. He holds a postgraduate diploma in digital media from a reputed institute, where he mastered the tools to create engaging and credible content across various platforms. Known for his attention to detail, proficiency in storytelling, and editorial expertise, Pranav combines deep basketball knowledge with sharp analytical abilities to deliver clear, insightful perspectives on the complexities of NBA trades and team management.

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