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NBA DRAFT 2016

June 23, 2016

Jaylen Brown

Brooklyn, New York

THE MODERATOR: If you could just start off with an opening statement about what you'll bring to the Celtics.

JAYLEN BROWN: First off, I want to say I'm happy to be a part of the family. I know Boston has a lot of history, a lot of tradition, and I want to add to that. I know it's a playoff team, so I love playoff basketball, and I can't wait to win. Boston is a great city full of culture, full of life, education, things that mean a lot to me. I'm super excited. I cannot wait to get there and can't wait to get everything started, can't wait for the season to start, and I'm happy to be a part of the family.

Q. When did you get a first idea that this was happening? Obviously I'm sure you were aware the Celtics were engaged in a bunch of talks all day for trades.
JAYLEN BROWN: I had no idea. I promise you, I had no idea. I was actually sweating bullets when the final five seconds came in. But I knew they were heavily interested when they asked me to come back for a second workout, but you hear different things every day. I mean, it changes every day, so I was not sure at all. But I'm glad to be here, and I think it's the right fit.

Q. How does it feel to play for one of the smartest coaches in the NBA in Brad Stevens?
JAYLEN BROWN: It feels great. Brad is a great guy. I mean, we had some conversations when I went up to Boston, and he seems like a very smart guy, so that's a very fair statement.

It feels great. It feels like it's an honor, it's a privilege to play for somebody like that. Good question.

Q. Jimmy Butler came out and kind of endorsed you in a podcast, said he liked the way you play, the way you work. What's it like getting a compliment from one of the best two-way players in the league?
JAYLEN BROWN: It feels good. Me and Jimmy, we kind of have the same mentality. I met him in Chicago for the first time at the NBA Combine and we have the same trainer and he said we have similar work ethics so he wanted to see for himself. So he cut his vacation short, got in the gym with me, we worked out, and then we ended up playing one-on-one and we ended up being in there an extra hour. We ended up going tooth and nail at it. So Jimmy is a great worker and it's an extraordinary compliment from someone like that.

Q. Do you want to let us know how those one-on-one games went?
JAYLEN BROWN: Sure, we played to three because I guess he thought it would be easy, and then somebody won the first game and then he wanted to keep going. And so we kept going after that, then he won the second, then he won the third, then I won the fourth, and we ended up playing all the way to 21.

Q. The NBA game is very different than the college game. How do you feel like you're going to fit into the NBA and what are the skills you feel like you can bring to the Celtics right away?
JAYLEN BROWN: NBA is a faster pace, faster tempo, so it's a lot of transition, and I feel like that's where I excel, that's where I thrive. However, I do have to get a lot better. Decision making has to get a lot better. But the NBA is a faster pace, a lot of versatility. Guys that can guard multiple positions are very valuable, and I think I add to that really well.

Q. You're one of the athletes that actually I think enjoyed going to class.
JAYLEN BROWN: Absolutely.

Q. Was this a tough decision to leave? We know the NB riches, so I was curious if that was a factor. And now that you're going to Boston, are you looking at going to Harvard during the off-season?
JAYLEN BROWN: That's a good question. That's a very good question. Anytime you make a decision you want to make sure you take your time and make sure you evaluate from top to bottom, make sure you're making the right one. So it took a while to make a decision because education is important to me, but this was the right thing for me to do, and Boston has a great history of education and some great universities like Harvard, MIT. I've done my research, so we'll see.

Q. I want to talk about your draft outfit. I like it. It's like an advanced version of Hakeem Olajuwon in '84. Walk me through it. What made you choose that one?
JAYLEN BROWN: This is the one that kind of popped out. I know a lot of young guys tend to go with flashy colors or fluorescent patterns or floral patterns. I just wanted to keep it simple, classic, timeless, but definitely, definitely classy. That's what I wanted to do. That matches my personality, so I expressed my personality through my suit.

Q. How many suits did you have to choose from?
JAYLEN BROWN: How many suits did I have to choose from? I had thousands of suits to choose from. Thousands. And I'm super meticulous and picky. So I had to make sure. I had to do my due diligence on suits, so it took me a while.

Q. On those visits did you have a chance -- were any players around at those workouts? And how familiar are you with their team and what can you bring to their team as you join it?
JAYLEN BROWN: No players were in when I was in either time, but I know a few of them. I know James Young went to Kentucky. I don't know him personally but I know of him, and Isaiah Thomas, the point guard, I know he's really close with the actual Isiah Thomas. So that relationship is probably going to be set when we get there and everything, but that's about it.

I don't know really anybody on the team, but I do know that they're a playoff team and they're looking for somebody to come and add and not take away from what they've been doing, so that's what I want to do.

Q. Can you take us into your mind, what happened in your mind when you first arrived here, then when you hear your name called, then when you go on the stage to shake the hand of the Commissioner?
JAYLEN BROWN: What was going through my mind? I didn't think Boston was going to pick me for some reason. I don't know. I was sitting there and I was nervous as all get-out. Somebody texted me and was like, "Didn't hear anything from Boston." They were obviously playing a joke on me, but I was sweating and I was nervous. But when they picked me, just a sigh of relief left me, and I'm happy I'm here.

Q. You've mentioned history a few times. What are your earliest memories of the Boston Celtics?
JAYLEN BROWN: My earliest memories? Earliest memories go back to -- do they have to be alive?

Q. To have memories, yes.
JAYLEN BROWN: True, true, true. Only team I've got to see in person was 2007 with Paul Pierce, KG.

Q. '08, the championship team?
JAYLEN BROWN: '08, the championship team. But I remember watching the Big Three. That's the earliest memories I have, but of course I know about the Celtics in '86, '87, '88 those years they were unstoppable and then going back to Bill Russell and those days, as well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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