Only ranked seventh on the Celtics? Brown fires back angrily: Analytics are ruining basketball

On June 28, Beijing time, ESPN salary cap expert Bobby Marks relayed a view from an anonymous data department staffer, claiming that in the team's internal ratings, Jaylen Brown ranks only seventh. The Celtics star soon publicly refuted the claim. Brown would not let this slide.

He immediately responded. "The so-called stats these days are just used to belittle players and manipulate public opinion," Brown posted on social media. "When you actually step on the court and play, no one is better than me on both ends. Which department is this guy from?"

He then added another post: "In my entire ten years in the league, counting regular-season and playoff total wins, no one has won more games than me."

His rant didn't stop there. A third post read: "Analytics are destroying basketball. Now we're playing AI basketball."

After that, Bobby Marks also responded, saying that the short clip circulating online cut out the key content from his original statement.

Marks wrote: "The missing two minutes from the video: I don't evaluate players purely based on data; I trust my eyes from watching games. I would love to have Jaylen Brown on my team. He brings real winning value (the team is 191-80 over the past four years). He's a top-10 player in the league, and any championship contender needs him."

Brown replied again: "Name your source."

Recently, trade rumors surrounding Jaylen Brown have been swirling, with reports that the Celtics are still willing to listen to offers. However, multiple league sources indicate that Boston's asking price remains extremely high.

In the 2025-26 season, Brown played 71 regular-season games, averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists. He also played 7 playoff games, averaging 25.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists.