Bob Myers Thinks Jaylen Brown Is Getting the Same Treatment Klay Thompson Once Got

Bob Myers has seen this movie before. The former Golden State Warriors general manager now runs basketball operations for the Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment group, which includes the Philadelphia 76ers. And after the Sixers pulled off the stunner of the offseason by acquiring Jaylen Brown from the Celtics in exchange for Paul George and a pile of picks, Myers is already pushing back on the criticism aimed at his new star.

On the latest episode of Game Over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul, Myers compared the skepticism around Brown to the way people once questioned Klay Thompson during Golden State’s dynasty years. Klay was never the flashiest guy on the floor. He didn’t dribble through three defenders or post gaudy assist numbers. But Myers watched him win four titles and never once doubted his value.

Brown just won Finals MVP. He was the best player on a Celtics team that cut through the Eastern Conference and took the trophy. So when Myers hears analytics-driven takes questioning Brown’s impact, he pushes back hard.

“That’s the analytics: winning,” Myers said. “His team won.”

Why Myers sees a double standard in player evaluation

The former Warriors GM didn’t dismiss analytics entirely. He said they can be useful tools. But he argued they shouldn’t become the only tool. During Golden State’s run, Klay Thompson was routinely undervalued by certain metrics because his game didn’t fit neatly into a spreadsheet. Myers sees the same thing happening with Brown now.

Brown himself has been vocal about this since the trade. During a July 4 livestream, he called out what he sees as a coordinated effort to shape his public image using anonymous sources. “We gotta stop with the anonymous sources, chat,” Brown said. He also responded to a report from ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who cited an unnamed analytics executive claiming Brown was only the seventh-best player on his own team. Brown fired back on social media, saying analytics are “used to discredit and control narratives.”

Rich Paul, who appeared alongside Myers on the show, added that Brown could be a culture-changing presence in Philadelphia alongside Tyrese Maxey. The Sixers are betting big on that vision. They sent out George, two first-round picks, a first-round pick swap and two second-rounders to get Brown. That is a lot of draft capital for a guy some analytics folks aren’t sold on.

But Myers isn’t buying the doubt. He’s been around long enough to know that winning tends to settle these arguments. Brown’s last stop ended with a banner. Philadelphia is hoping the next one does too.