Jaylen Brown picks his most significant basketball star of all time – and it’s not MJ, LeBron or Kobe

Reigning NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown is just as comfortable discussing Greek philosophers as he is basketball.

The Boston Celtics star enjoys playing chess and reading up on history in his spare time.

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Brown took a deep dive into NBA history

Brown recently sat down for a chat with Hot Ones host Sean Evans where the topics ranged from philosophy to the NBA GOAT.

And one of his takes was spicier than the wings which have given many a celebrity a hard time.

The 27-year-old was asked to name the most significant historical figure in basketball and gave an insightful answer.

“Sheesh, it’s a few and for different categories,” Brown began.

“Of course, you would go like Michael Jordan for his marketability and how he globalized the game, especially during that Olympic timeframe.

“But you can also say from a cultural standpoint, Allen Iverson, him integrating culture, which is so influential between music, sport, art, fashion, and how he represented that, the urbanness of basketball.

“Kobe Bryant and his mentality and how that translated from generation to generation is going to continue to translate.

“Steph Curry, the influence on his generation. You see how the game is played now, it’s all threes.

“So it’s hard to choose one, but who would yours be?”

“Bill Russell,” replied Evans – a pick that may have sparked a bromance.

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Jordan was a cultural phenomenon

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Russell won the NBA Championship 11 times in 13 seasons

“I was about to say that’s mine. Did we just become best friends?” Brown joked.

“Not just in sports, being the most winningest player, but how he saw his influence beyond being an athlete or an entertainer.

“A lot of guys just want to keep it sports and basketball. But I think our value, our influence, goes beyond. It depends is we want to use it or not.”

Ranking the greatest NBA players in the world as LeBron James tries to win another championship ring with the Los Angeles Lakers

Russell was the centerpiece of a Celtics dynasty that won 11 NBA titles in 13 seasons.

He had a huge influence on the Civil Rights movement and helped pave the way for the likes of Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James to become cultural icons.

As well as polishing off all the wings without a drink of water, Brown showed off his knowledge on a range of subjects.

“Socrates. He studied at the Library of Alexandria,”  he replied when asked to name his favorite philosopher.

“I actually got to go there this summer.

“I went to Alexandria this summer, which is not the same as the Library of Alexandria, which was burned down by Julius Caesar.

Most lucrative NBA contracts

1 Jayson Tatum, Celtics: Five years, $314 million

2 Jaylen Brown, Celtics: Five years, $285 million

3 Nikola Jokic, Nuggets: Five years, $276 million

4 Bradley Beal, Suns: Five years, $251 million

5= Anthony Edwards, Wolves: Five years, $244 million

5= Tyrese Haliburton, Pacers: Five years, $244 million

“But it still has a lot of historical monuments and documents that still exist. 

“So it was cool getting to go spend some time there this summer.

“But there’s a lot of great philosophers. Mine might be Tupac, I don’t know.

“But you know, Socrates is a good one.”

It is time for Brown to let his game do the talking with the Celtics ramping up their preparations for the season against the Denver Nuggets.

He might not win an unprecedented 11 titles like his idol, but the superstar still has plenty to say, on and off the court.

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