New Philadelphia 76ers forward Jaylen Brown recently celebrated his 30th birthday, and several teammates, including LeBron James, attended. In a now-viral video, James was seen hugging Brown.
Brown and James headline a free-agent class for the Philadelphia 76ers that ranks among the best in the NBA and also includes Dean Wade, Anfernee Simons, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. in a recent episode of the Mind the Game podcast, James spoke about his respect for Brown and how the former Finals MVP is misunderstood.
“I just think anytime someone kind of moves to their own beat, it makes people uncomfortable,” James said. “He has his own voice. He moves to the sound of his own beat. It makes people uncomfortable because it's not what everyone's accustomed to. When it becomes misunderstood, then it becomes intimidating, and people look at it as ‘I don't wanna be around that,' because they feel intimidated by it.”
James also detailed their growing relationship, including working out in the offseason
“Am I right? I don't know. I'm gonna spend some time and get an opportunity to be around him even more. We've worked out three or four times this offseason, we've been in communication because we're two of the guys on the team that's been through the foxhole and been through the ringer of what it takes from the moment we step on the court for training camp to the moment when we raise that Larry O'Brien Trophy. We know what it takes. … It's been nothing but good interaction with JB, and we're gonna continue that.”
Brown and James make their debut as members of the 76ers when they face off against the defending champion New York Knicks on opening night.