Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown criticized the NBA's current culture of flopping during a Monday night Twitch stream. He suggested that players must 'sell their soul' by exaggerating contact to become MVP candidates. Brown's comments sparked speculation about reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Jaylen Brown, in his 10th NBA season with the Boston Celtics, addressed the league's climate during a live Twitch session on Monday night. Responding to a question about the game's state, Brown expressed frustration with what he sees as excessive embellishment for fouls, particularly among superstar players.
“This new generation, the floppers,” Brown said. “If you want to be a great player, you have to sell your soul. You have to be a flopper. If you want to be an MVP, top of the top, you've got to just sell your soul and be a flopper.”
While Brown did not name specific players, fans in the Twitch chat speculated he was referring to Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning MVP. Gilgeous-Alexander's physical driving style has drawn criticism for drawing fouls, and the Thunder have started the season strongly, with only one loss in their first 24 games.
Brown later joked with his audience about adapting to the era, parodying flopping by describing practice on 'throwing my head [back]' and flailing arms when touched while dribbling. He asked viewers what kind of player they wanted him to be in today's NBA.
For the Celtics, the season has been one of adaptation without star forward Jayson Tatum, who suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in last year's conference semifinals and is out for the majority or all of 2025. Brown has stepped up as a leader, helping the team to a 15-9 record and third place in the Eastern Conference despite early doubts.