The battle between Jaylen Brown and Joel Embiid hasn’t stopped just because the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers’ first-round playoff series is over.
Embiid and the 76ers got the last laugh over Brown and the Celtics on the court, completing a historic 3–1 comeback capped by a 109–100 Game 7 win at TD Garden on Saturday night. The two superstars went at it throughout—particularly in the third quarter—guarding each other and jawing on multiple possessions.
It was a great back-and-forth between two of the league’s most talented players. However, there was one aspect of the matchup that didn’t sit well with Brown, and he made his feelings about it known during a livestream on Sunday: Embiid’s flopping.
“This is just my personal opinion on basketball—some of you might disagree, but argue with your grandma. Flopping has ruined our game. Joel Embiid is a great player, one of the best bigs in basketball history. Flops. He knows it—this ain’t breaking news. You know what I mean? It is what it is. Y’all can clip it up like I said, y’all can post it on these paid accounts, whatever—that’s just my opinion,”
The 29-year-old Brown and 32-year-old Embiid went toe-to-toe in the first-round matchup, with Brown averaging 25.7 points, 3.3 assists, and 5.7 rebounds in seven games, while Embiid averaged 28.0 points, 7.9 assists, and 9.0 rebounds across four games.
Brown was likely referring to a fourth-quarter foul he received for nudging Embiid from behind, which caused him to stumble and fall. While there was contact, it’s fair to question whether it was enough for a 6-foot-6, 223-pound forward to move a 7-foot, 270-pound center.
Ultimately, Philadelphia sent Boston packing for the summer, so many will view Brown as just complaining after the loss—regardless of how valid his point is.
Next: David Pastrnak Acknowledges Growing Urgency to Win After Playoff Exit
