Jaylen Brown: “In 2028, if I have to sign to Nike to increase my likelihood of playing USA basketball, I’ll pass. I think the essence—you see it in our grassroots—kids, instead of enjoying the essence of basketball, are forced to pick a side. I look at our global game, and Europe is closing the gap. I believe that we should focus more on our development of our youth and grassroots, and I think sports shoe companies should have less control over the industry. Right now, I was one of those kids, you know, I was a top player, number one actually. You came to one of my high school games, I remember that. I was a top player in high school, and there was so much to deal with—Nike, Adidas, going to an Adidas school, going to a Nike school—and kids should just be focusing on development.”