Celtics broadcaster Brian Scalabrine got himself into some hot water in Boston.
In a stumbling live TV conversation, the Celtics’ color analyst struggled to explain comments he made earlier in the day claiming Brown demanded a trade — the first such claim from someone inside the Celtics’ orbit since Brown was shockingly dealt to the 76ers in the offseason.
“After the 48 calls I got today, and I listened, he technically didn’t demand to be traded,” Scalabrine said on the Celtics pregame show Monday. “I just summed it all up, and I summed up the word salad and kept it simple, but I think that’s what kind of got me in trouble there.”
Scalabrine was a bit more boisterous on his “The Starting Lineup” SiriusXM Radio show alongside Frank Isola just hours before his walkback.
“My understanding of this thing is he demanded to be traded,” Scalabrine said on the show earlier on Monday. “Not into the media, but to the organization.”
Scalabrine then got himself into even more hot water — likely with some within the organization, considering he’s a broadcaster for the Celtics with significantly more access than anyone on the outside — by alleging that Brown was recruiting players to join him at his next destination.
“But my understanding is Jaylen Brown went to the organization and had a list of demands,” Scalabrine said. “And it was like, ‘You either do this, or you trade me.’ And he was rooting to get traded to Milwaukee, including calling some other teammates about, ‘Hey man, what do you think of Milwaukee? We should go there.’”
Brown was rumored to be traded to the Bucks along with other draft picks or potential assets for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the trade did not happen, as the Heat acquired the former MVP.
Scalabrine attempted to walk all of that back now that he’s making headlines.
“I have no idea [what his demands were],” Scalabrine says while fumbling through his explanation. “Technically, he didn’t demand a trade; it was ‘do these things right here or else.’”
Brown was later traded to the 76ers for Paul George and draft compensation.
The Celtics broadcaster works for NBC Sports Boston, a channel the Celtics own a 20 percent stake in.
Scalabrine did not specify whether one of those 48 calls that he “fended off” came from his bosses at NBC Sports Boston or Celtics team owners.
“I didn’t even know that this was going to be a thing,” Scalabrine said of the media blowback. “It was one of those things that lived in my mind for months. I finally used it because we were talking about the weirdest stuff, and now it’s out there.”
“I don’t understand the full reality of it,” Scalabrine attempted to explain.
Brown and his former co-star, Jayson Tatum, have had a strange back-and-forth in the media in recent weeks, with the 76ers guard taking the latest shots.
Tatum had told reporters that his beef with Brown was “no f–king Shaq and Kobe. There’s no beef.”
But Brown appears to have stronger feelings than that.
Brown agreed, saying there is “no beef,” but added that there “might be a little lamb chops and some gravy,” with a cryptic “he should stay ready at all times.”
The 76ers play the Celtics on Nov. 10 in Philadelphia in the first meeting between the two stars since what has been viewed as an ugly breakup.
