Jaylen Brown Names The Most Influential Players In NBA History

Jaylen Brown was a guest on Complex's 'Hot Ones '. When asked by Sean Evans about the most influential figures in the history of the league, Brown mentioned Michael Jordan for globalizing the game, Allen Iverson for integrating culture into the sport, Kobe Bryant for his mentality, Stephen Curry for changing the game, along with Bill Russell for what he did to expand the influence of an athlete in culture.

"A few for different categories. Of course, you would go (with) Michael Jordan for his marketability and how he globalized the game, especially during that Olympic timeframe."

"You can also say from a cultural standpoint, Allen Iverson, just him integrating culture, which is so influential between music, sport, art, fashion, and how he represented the urban-ness of basketball."

"Kobe Bryant and his mentality, and how that translated from generation to generation, and is going to continue to translate. Steph Curry's influence on the generation - you see how the game is played now - it's all threes. It's hard to choose one..."

"Not just in sports being the most winningest player, but how he [Bill Russell] used his influence beyond an athlete or an entertainer. A lot of guys just want to keep it sport and basketball, but I think our value, our influence goes beyond. It depends on if we want to use it or not."

Brown surprisingly didn't mention LeBron James, who in terms of his impact on the sport of basketball and the influence he has had globally, is one of the stalwarts of the NBA. James has laid out the blueprint for star athletes to extend their careers well past their primes while still performing at a high level.

It probably wasn't an intentional snub. Aside from James, Brown's list is pretty comprehensive and covers some of the NBA's most important figureheads across eras.

Jaylen Brown Shares Welcome To The NBA Moment

In the same interview, Brown was asked about what his 'Welcome to the NBA' moment was. Hilariously, Brown mentioned the feeling of receiving his first NBA paycheck. Having come from fairly humble beginnings, Brown had never experienced having that kind of money, referencing a $182K check he received from the Celtics.

"Yeah, when the first check hits your bank account. That was my welcome. I told them to mail it to me so I could feel it and touch it. I wanted to see my first check, feel it in my hand."

"The first check I got was like $182K. I remember seeing that as an 18-year-old coming from a single-parent household, seeing $182K in the first check, I was like 'Welcome to the NBA."

For a young player coming from a middle-class, single-parent household, seeing that kind of money can be life-changing. Luckily, Brown didn't do the thing many rookies do where they blow all of their money as soon as they receive it.

The checks would get bigger for Brown, as last year he signed a five-year, $285 million contract extension with the Celtics. It was the largest NBA contract at the time, which would only be topped by his teammate Jayson Tatum's recent contract worth $315 million.

Brown has certainly earned that massive payday, as this past summer he helped the Celtics win their first NBA championship in 16 years. Brown was named the Finals MVP. But the hard work has just begun, as the Celtics look to go back-to-back next season and become the first team since the 2018 Warriors to do so.

Related: Jaylen Brown Says Celtics Will Win Title If Healthy; Wants To See Zion Williamson In NBA Dunk Contest

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