Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown became the first active NBA player to participate in a BIG3 game on Saturday when he started for Team Big in London. He put up nine points, five rebounds and two assists in Team Big’s battle against Team 3. Team B however lost to Team 3, 51-42.
Brown participated in the game to support a local charity called London Youth. BIG3 is the three-on-three basketball league co-founded by rapper Ice Cube. According to ESPN, the BIG3 league is made up of 12 teams including former NBA and international players.
Ice Cube called Brown his “hero” after learning that the Celtics star would play in the game. “He’s making a humongous statement by being the first current NBA player to play in a BIG3 game,” Ice Cube wrote. “By suiting up for our All Star game tomorrow, he’s doing everything in his power to help the league succeed. Salute. Forever grateful.”
Brown also shared why he made the decision to play. “Having some fun for charity, giving back to the community, and supporting,” Brown said after Saturday’s game. “It’s amazing being in this environment. Shout out to London, shout out to the O2 [Arena]. Excited to give back to charity, excited to be a part of this, and I appreciate you, Ice Cube.”
Brown recently indicated that he wants to bring Black Wall Street to Boston. This came after his new contract extension with the Boston Celtics. The deal, amounting to $304 million, is reportedly the richest in NBA history.
After inking the deal, Brown was asked about what he intended to do with the generational wealth he earned with the contract. He responded by saying he wanted to bring Black Wall Street to Boston in a bid to attack wealth disparity.