Jaylen Brown Fires Back at Stephen A. Smith Over 'Favorite Year' Comment

ESPN commentator Stephen A. Smith traded barbs with Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown after criticizing Brown's recent comments on the team's playoff exit.

The dispute began on First Take, where Smith took issue with Brown calling the season his favorite year despite Boston blowing a 3-1 lead to the Philadelphia 76ers and losing in the first round.

"You got knocked out in the first round," Smith said Thursday. "The Boston Celtics, one of the top two most storied franchises, if not the most storied franchise in the history of basketball, lost a 3-1 lead for the first time in its postseason history."

Smith highlighted the timing. Boston had just been eliminated, with Jayson Tatum nursing an Achilles injury, yet Brown described it as his favorite year just 24 hours after losing three straight home games to close out the series.

Smith also pointed to Brown's relationship with Tatum, noting Tatum had appeared on First Take but not on Brown's Twitch stream. "So in other words, Jayson Tatum showed up on First Take before he showed up on your damn show," Smith said. "How? How?"

Smith then suggested Brown stay quiet and go on vacation unless he wanted to be traded.

Brown responded quickly on X: "I'll ‘be quiet' / stop streaming if you ‘be quiet' and retire let's give the people what they want."

Smith fired back: "Bro, I got love for you so I'm not going to even go there. Folks are looking out for you and you don't even realize it. Here you are making this kind of noise and it hasn't even been a week since you lost a 3-1 lead. You're HOME."

He added: "A champion and a Finals MVP saying his favorite season is the season he's home in the FIRST ROUND. This is not about ME. It's about YOU….and what YOU SAID. Enjoy your offseason."

Boston, the No. 2 seed in the East, became just the fourth team in the past 25 years to lose in the first round from that position. The franchise had never before blown a 3-1 playoff lead.