Jaylen Brown didn't hold back. Just 24 hours after the Boston Celtics' stunning Game 7 collapse against the Philadelphia 76ers — a series they once led 3-1 — the All-Star wing took to his personal live stream to unload on the officiating, calling out Joel Embiid for "flopping" and accusing referees of having a "clear agenda."
The Celtics' season ended in heartbreak on Saturday night, with Boston shooting just 13-for-47 from three-point range and unable to hit clutch shots down the stretch. But for Brown, the loss wasn't just about missed jumpers or Jayson Tatum's absence. It was about the whistle.
"[Embiid is] a big body. He also was flopping around, he got some extra calls, stuff like that," Brown said at his postgame press conference. "They rewarded him for that, but that's the league that we're in."
Brown didn't stop there. During his live stream, he doubled down on his criticism of Embiid's playing style and went even further, suggesting that certain officials need to be "investigated" and that many carry an "agenda" against him personally. The comments came after a heated moment in Game 7 where Brown and Embiid exchanged words during a physical matchup, with Embiid backing Brown down and the two barking at each other in classic rivalry fashion.
The Celtics-76ers series was a battle of Eastern Conference heavyweights, with Boston entering as favorites after taking a commanding 3-1 lead. But Philadelphia stormed back, culminating in a decisive Game 7 win on the road. For Brown, the loss stings even more because he believes the game wasn't called fairly.
"They clearly had an agenda," Brown said, referencing the officiating crew. "Some of those calls ... it's frustrating when you feel like the game is being decided by things outside of your control."
Whether Brown's comments lead to a fine from the league remains to be seen, but one thing is clear: the Celtics star isn't backing down from his stance on Embiid's style of play or the referees who officiated the series. For fans watching at home, it's another chapter in one of the NBA's most intense rivalries — and a reminder that in the playoffs, emotions run as high as the stakes.