Jaylen Brown thanks All-NBA voter who indirectly helped him nab richest contract in NBA history

Celtics

The 26-year-old signed a five-year, $304 million supermax extension with the Celtics in July.

Jaylen Brown smiles while fielding questions during his supermax extension signing. Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff

Despite making history with his supermax deal courtesy of the Celtics, it doesn’t seem like money is changing the way Jaylen Brown presents himself off the court.

He and Boston agreed to a historic five-year, $304 million supermax extension on July 25. Brown became eligible for such a deal after he was voted to the All-NBA second team alongside the likes of the Nuggets’ Nikola Jokić and the Warriors’ Stephen Curry. Brown received 169 votes from sportswriters and broadcasters who comprise the All-NBA voting panel.

One of those voters, Mike Singer of The Denver Post who put a tally down for the 26-year-old, shared on Twitter that he received a letter from Brown thanking Singer for inadvertently helping to make his massive contract increase possible.

The note, which features Brown’s “7UICE” logo at the top, expresses gratitude for Singer’s vote.

“I wanted to thank you for your All-NBA vote this past season,” Brown says in the letter. “I recognize the power of the current system of All-NBA voting and the impact it has on players like me in the current NBA. I also recognize that it is not something any journalists like yourself signed up for. Nonetheless, I know you took the time to consider worthy candidates and appreciate your vote. Wishing you and your family all the best this upcoming off-season and thank you again.”

The Nuggets’ beat writer describes the hand-signed letter personally addressed to him as “classy”.

“No media member asked for their vote to carry enormous weight re. All-NBA,” Singer shared on Twitter. “Cool of him to acknowledge that.”

Brown is no stranger to going out of his way for others. He opted to sign his extension at MIT’s Media Lab alongside Boston high school students. His 7uice Foundation and MIT collaborated to create the Bridge Program, which aims to get local teen students from underrepresented minority communities involved in science and technology. 

Other star athletes signing enormous contracts usually choose to put pen to paper at their home stadium. Brown instead surrounded himself with Boston’s youth, who he’s focusing on empowering through the Bridge Program.

“I appreciate the investment and commitment from the Celtics and from the rest of the community,” Brown said the day he made his extension official. “And that investment and commitment will be felt in return from me here in Boston, on and off the floor. But also, hopefully, soon around the world.”

Originally posted 2023-08-18 23:54:57.

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