Jaylen Brown is not letting the beef with Stephen A. Smith cool off. The new 76ers wing took to Instagram this week and reposted a video from @grinlockeanime that turns Smith into an anime villain. It’s NSFW, it’s weird, and it’s clearly aimed at the ESPN loudmouth.
The animated clip shows a parody version of Smith standing in a lab, talking about how he has no basketball knowledge. He makes fun of his own hairline — which, to be fair, the cartoon stretched into something absurd — and then meets a scientist who tells him his real job is to tear down “Black independent thinking athletes” like Brown. Smith’s character is called a “puppet.” The whole thing is bizarre and pretty on the nose.
This is the latest shot in a back-and-forth that started after the Celtics blew a 3-1 lead to the 76ers in last year’s playoffs. Smith went after Brown for going live on a stream less than 24 hours after Boston lost Game 7 at home. Brown didn’t forget. Since then, they’ve been trading jabs on social media and TV, with other ESPN personalities jumping in to take sides.
Brown’s new home in Philly
Brown is now in Philadelphia after the Sixers traded Paul George and draft picks to Boston for him. The move was one of the bigger surprises of the offseason. Brown is supposed to help push the Sixers into real contention after they got swept by the Knicks in the second round this year. That series ended with a whimper, and the front office clearly felt like they needed a shake-up.
The feud with Smith is a sideshow, but it’s one Brown seems happy to keep running. He’s been posting and responding to critics all summer. Smith hasn’t addressed the anime video on air yet, but it’s hard to imagine he won’t. The guy talks about everything. And when he does, expect Brown to have something ready.
For now, the Sixers are still figuring out their rotation and hoping Embiid stays healthy. Brown gives them another scoring option and a guy who doesn’t back down from anyone. Including Stephen A. Smith.
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