I don't know if I like getting hit, but I try to draw contact.
— Jaylen Brown
Before you can lead anybody else, you gotta put yourself in the right position to be successful.
Playing in front of your home crowd, they can almost be like the best sixth man in the league, especially being in Boston.
The fans care about somebody who cares about them. It's not all about somebody who can put the ball in the cup. I think that's my calling.
I wake up every day doing what I love to do. I love to play basketball.
I'm overly confident. I believe in myself 100 percent. I believe in my game, and I believe in my work ethic.
I'm not a guy that's going to shoot 10 3s a game - I like to get to the basket. But some of those shots I do gotta take. Some of those shots I gotta let fly.
I just want to develop and be the best player I can be.
Sports is a unique thing in our country. It's so influential. It's almost like a sacrament for religion.
Who's to say because you're just a basketball player, or you are a basketball player, who's to say you can't chime in on other subjects or other important topics?
You've got athletes who are politicians, venture capitalists, musicians, rappers, etcetera. It's becoming more of a popular thing to have other interests outside of basketball, and I think that's normal. Just like when people work day jobs, they have interest in sports, they do investments, they do all these other types of things.
I hate taking pills. Like, I probably haven't taken a pill in over 10 years.
Athletes have all the influence in the world. Everyone wants to hear what you have to say.
LeBron's a good player, but I look at him as just a regular guy to me.
A lot of players get to a certain point they don't want to make mistakes. They just want everyone to see how great they are. That ends up being their downfall. You put a cap on yourself.
I think it's becoming cool to have mental toughness or to meditate. It's a thing, but I don't think people really understand the value of it.
I learned to play chess at a young age, and I think that's where learning to plan things out and put things in position, that was the best thing for me.
LeBron's probably the best player in the world, so you just have to make it tough for him, make him take tough jump shots and things like that.
I think that's kind of who I am. I just try to be vocal and try to lead by example.
The way the NBA is going forward with versatility and everybody being able to play multiple positions, I'll fit right in.
I'm not trying to be different. To me, I'm just being myself.
I've been blessed to have a lot of mentors in my life that just have been good people and hard workers. Jae Crowder is one of them; Jimmy Butler is one of them.
I always have a point to prove where I have a chip on my shoulder at all times.
I've worked on my shot because that's what people have been critiquing me on my whole life. I've gotten a lot better at it, and I continue to get better at it.
I don't want to come into a situation like the NBA and have to develop for two or three years. When I come in, I want to be a superstar.
Why, when an athlete says something, why is it downplayed or considered not OK? I've always challenged that notion.
I don't believe in holding your tongue, especially if it's something you can directly benefit from or some people need to hear.
At the end of the day, basketball is basketball. You've got a whole life to live.
Sports and education, I think they overlap.
When I open my mouth and talk, sometimes people say they are amazed of my intellect. I don't know if that's because I truly speak in a way that people can understand or feel a certain way, or because they don't expect it. I don't know. That's something I am curious about.
I want to understand everything so I can put myself in a position to be successful.
Embarrassment is where growth happens.
Athletes aren't allowed to have an opinion. It's tough. Athletes are evolving right in front of our eyes. You see athletes who are politicians, etc., and still, we're told to shut up and dribble.
A lot of people didn't know why I went to Cal. The Bay Area, Silicon Valley, I wanted to put myself in that position where I'm not only successful on the court but off the court.
I'm just trying to establish myself, play the game the right way with my teammates, have fun, make the right plays, and get adjusted to the pro game. It's different from college. It's a little bit faster, so I'm just trying to get as comfortable as I can on the court.
I'm not really worried about anybody or anything. I think I have a lot to offer. It's just, with your rookie year, your body, it's just a lot. It may seem foolish, all those dunks and stuff: they look cool, but it takes a toll on your body, for sure.
I'm strong enough to guard the big guys and have enough heart to lock them down.
David Ortiz is almost like a superhero. The type of love that he gives and everything, the positivity that's around him - a lot of people admire him and respect him.
Jae Crowder, he's like my big bro.
I really feel like there's nothing I can't do on the floor.
I've taken thousands of shots in the corner. It's all mental. That's all it comes down to, is to be ready, wait for your opportunity, and execute.
I definitely feel like you have an influence. I'm 21 years old, and I'm thinking about the kids that are from my neighborhood, from my community, that are looking up to me and seeing me handle myself a certain way, so I do feel a responsibility in that sense to handle myself a certain way in front of those guys.
I'm not saying that players should go out and say random things, especially if they don't know anything about it. But I think players do know more than people give them credit for. People do research, and people are entitled to their own opinions.
I can remember back when I was getting ready for the NBA, going through media training, going to certain camps - they almost teach you to not say anything that will get you any backlash or not say anything out of the norm, and what you're saying could be true to yourself.
The chips fall into place, but the educational experience I had at Cal, second to none.
More people care about LeBron James than some religious leader.
There's bigger threats in my neighborhood than LeBron James, so I have no fear whatsoever of LeBron.
Everything is educational.
I don't have any fear of failure whatsoever. I used to, and I told myself I wouldn't allow myself to anymore.
When I got to Cal, they tried to put me in safe classes, things I could succeed at. I went to Cal for an education. That's definitely problematic. You see athletes taking majors that don't add up to anything.
