The Boston Celtics and Jaylen Brown have come to terms on a supermax extension, a new five-year deal worth $304 million dollars that will keep the All-NBA forward in Boston through the ’28-29 season. This represents a record for NBA contracts and helps finally put to bed the persistent trade rumors and questions that have long followed Brown. On Wednesday Brown spoke to the media about his new deal.
The Georgia native spent the past week hosting a multi-day camp at Massachusetts Institute of Technology serving Black and brown high school students in the Boston community. Brown chose to host the press conference announcing his extension there, with dozens of teens assembled to experience the team’s official press conference.
Brown was introduced by Olympian and civil rights icon John Carlos.
Now the proud owner of the richest contract in NBA history, Brown spoke about his goals for using his wealth and platform. Specifically, he wants to address wealth inequality in Boston and the opportunities that doing so could represent.
“I want to bring back Black Wall Street here to Boston,” Brown said. “I want to attack the wealth disparity here.”
“Shrinking the wealth gap could actually be something that could be better for the entire economy,” Brown explained. “With the biggest financial deal in NBA history, it makes sense to talk about money, investment, and community, but to also the wealth disparity here that nobody wants to talk about.”
Boston owns one of the biggest wealth gaps in the country. A 2015 study found that while the median net worth of a white family was north of $250,000, the median net worth of a Black family living in Boston was just $8. It is believed COVID has worsened this trend, a problem created by years of inequality in opportunity and infrastructure.
“I think through my platform,” Brown said. “We’re going to partner with to select leaders, government officials, people in this in the locker room so that we can come together and create new jobs, new resources, new businesses, new ideas, all that could highlight minorities, and also stimulate the economy and wealth at the same time.”
“I want to attack that wealth gap here in Boston,” Brown said. “I’m going to help stimulate the overall economy. And I want to bring Black Wall Street here to Boston.”
Brown’s bridge program at the MIT Media Lab is a step in the right direction. The summer camp connects students from around the community with opportunities for STEAM learning. In fact, Brown told reporters he learned his extension was finalized while he was teaching robotics to his students.
“We live to make history.” was the message from the Bridge program. Brown certainly looks poised to do exactly that.
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Story originally appeared on Celtics Wire