Jaylen Brown spent a good chunk of last spring talking about Joel Embiid’s flopping. The Celtics had just eliminated the 76ers in the first round of the 2026 playoffs, and Brown made it clear he wasn’t a fan of Embiid’s style. Fast forward a few months and Brown is the one who signed with Philadelphia. Awkward, right?
Not really, says Stephen A. Smith.
The ESPN personality went on his show and basically laughed at the idea that Brown would hold onto any of that. Smith made a bet with viewers that Brown doesn’t give a damn about flopping now that Embiid is his teammate.
“Let me make a bet with y’all right now. I bet you Jaylen Brown don’t give a s**t about him flopping now. I bet you he don’t care. How much you wanna make a bet he don’t give a d**n if Joel Ebiid flopped now, because that’s his teammate. And if it works, d**n it, do it. Period. End of discussion, right?”
Smith has a point. Brown went from playing with Mitchell Robinson in New York to sharing a locker room with Embiid in Philly. That’s an upgrade even if Embiid only plays 40 games a season, which Smith was quick to mention.
Brown vs. Smith has its own history
The funny thing is Brown and Stephen A. have gone back and forth plenty of times. Social media jabs, comments on each other’s shows, the whole deal. But Smith put that aside to make his case. He said Brown makes the 76ers better because he’s a damn good basketball player, and that’s the bottom line.
Philadelphia is hoping Brown fits next to Tyrese Maxey, rookie VJ Edgecombe, and Embiid. The Eastern Conference is wide open and the 76ers think they can be the team to beat if the chemistry clicks. Brown’s comments about Embiid’s flopping will be a footnote if they start winning games.
Fans online have been split. Some think Brown was being honest and will keep that energy. Others think Smith is right and that winning changes everything. Neither side has a crystal ball but training camp in Camden should be interesting.
Brown is set to join the team for offseason workouts later this summer. The first time he and Embiid share a practice court the cameras will be rolling.
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