Jaylen Brown upset by Grant Hill's 'conspiracy theory' comment

Jaylen Brown did not hide his disappointment at being snubbed from the Team USA squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Through a cryptic tweet, Brown implied that Nike, Team USA's sponsor, kept him out of the France-bound team due to his previous comments about the sneaker giant.

The conspiracy theory gathered steam when former NBA player Enes Freedom and ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith supported it , suggesting that Brown had been blackballed for being too outspoken.

Grant Hill, the managing director of Team USA, addressed the theory in an interview with "The Dan Patrick Show" earlier this week. The Hall of Famer noted that he spoke to Brown's agent to clarify the Celtics star's tweet but did not get into all the details.

"I always love a good conspiracy theory, but it was really truly a basketball decision and these are tough decisions," Hill said of Brown's snub. "But having gone through this with the FIBA competition, you want to find the right balance and the right pieces on the court that we needed."

On Sunday, Brown took to X to express disappointment at being called a "conspiracy theorist" by Hill. The All-Star forward also reminded Hill that he's been Vice President of the NBA Players Association (NBPA) since 2018, when he became the youngest player to hold the post in league history.

Brown — not a part of the original 12-man Team USA roster — was viewed by many as the ideal candidate to replace the withdrawing Kawhi Leonard, especially after his NBA Finals MVP win. However, the elusive spot went to Brown's Celtics teammate, Derrick White, triggering a wide range of emotions from fans, players and analysts on social media.