Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown has put in work on the court this offseason in preparation for his team’s title defense. Brown has also put in work in the studio with A$AP Ferg, a Harlem rapper best known for songs like “Work” and “Plain Jane.”
On Thursday morning, a potential release date of a collaboration between Brown and Ferg was posted on X, via OnThinIce. Brown later reposted it on his account.
💿 JUST DO IT
👤 JAYLEN BROWN & A$AP FERG
📆 AUGUST 23RD, 2024 pic.twitter.com/vUYdPPmalj
— OnThinIce (@OnThinlce) August 22, 2024
While the thought of a reigning NBA Finals MVP hopping on a rap record might seem outlandish at first, there’s a well-documented history between Brown and Ferg. The two have been friends for years, and the New York rapper even gave Brown a chain worth around $20K for his birthday back in 2019.
In addition, after Brown won Eastern Conference Finals MVP against the Indiana Pacers last season, Ferg congratulated him on Instagram.
Rapper A$AP Ferg celebrates Boston’s ECF win.
He’s from New York but is good friends with ECF MVP Jaylen Brown.
(Via @ASAPferg IG story) pic.twitter.com/2VQFcoUOQD
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) May 28, 2024
The three-time All-Star was able to notch “a few more” wins, culminating in the Celtics’ first championship in over 15 years. Brown was hoping to round out his successful summer with some more victories on arguably the biggest stage in the world: the Olympics.
What does Jaylen Brown’s rap song have to do with the Olympics and Nike?
Although he had a shot at joining Team USA in Paris when Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard departed, Jaylen Brown still didn’t make the roster while Celtics teammate Derrick White did, leading to plenty of controversy. Brown accused USA Basketball Managing Director Grant Hill of conspiring with Nike to leave him off the squad.
@nike this what we doing ?
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) July 10, 2024
Hill didn’t appreciate the public accusation and said that his choice was purely a basketball decision. The Hall of Famer added that he called Brown before the rosters were announced to let him (and a few other select stars) know that he was considered but not ultimately chosen.
Jaylen Brown claps back at Grant Hill after being left off Team USA 🍿 pic.twitter.com/tEMXXXw1jW
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) July 28, 2024
Nike was one of Team USA’s largest sponsors and Brown isn’t exactly a fan of the lucrative shoe company. In fact, the Georgia native has removed the iconic Nike Swoosh from the brand’s basketball kicks on multiple occasions.
Jaylen Brown shows his Nike Kobe 6s “Reverse Grinch” without the swoosh, he wore today for the NBA Christmas game 🎄🏀 pic.twitter.com/3uIjxv2b5p
— KicksFinder (@KicksFinder) December 26, 2023
When star point guard Kyrie Irving came under fire from Nike for sharing an antisemitic film online in 2022, Brown stuck up for his former Celtics teammate. He insinuated that the company was hypocritical for condemning Irving despite its own controversial past with unethical labor practices.
Since when did Nike care about ethics? https://t.co/f8t2eY994v
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) November 10, 2022
To put it simply, Brown and Nike do not get along. While many high-profile NBA players have partnerships with the massive brand, Brown does not and likely never will.
Things could get more contentious on Friday, August 23, as that’s when the talented hooper might drop his potential diss track with Ferg. The alleged title of the song is “JUST DO IT,” which is clearly a reference to Nike’s renowned slogan.
While this record seems like it’s coming out of nowhere, Ferg has alluded to Brown’s rap skills in the past. When asked which NBA player he’d want on a song during a 2021 interview at Rolling Loud, Ferg quickly shouted out Brown.
“My man got the heat,” he said with a smile.
Worth bringing this back…
A$AP Ferg said that if he could have any NBA player on a song with him it’d be none other than Jaylen Brown.
pic.twitter.com/38gD5Qc0jl— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) August 22, 2024
Brown is a man of many talents, so a foray into rap is certainly within his capabilities. The UC Berkeley product has spoken at Harvard and MIT and is an avid chess player. He has also shown an interest in activism and working beyond the realm of basketball in the future.
The 2024 NBA champion wouldn’t be the first part-time rapper in the league either. Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard has produced plenty of music under the name “Dame Dolla.” Lonzo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Aaron Gordon are just a few of the current players who’ve ventured into hip-hop in recent years.
But how will Jaylen Brown’s possible debut go? Fans might not have to wait long to find out, as “JUST DO IT” could drop at midnight in the United States on all platforms, per sources.
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