The NBA is the highest level of basketball. Competitiveness, thrill, and skill make it interesting to see current NBA players trying to smash records and build an identity for themselves. With the big array of talents to choose from, the NBA draft consists of only the best with a proven track record.
However, Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown feels that the NBA currently doesn’t possess all of the world’s basketball talent and also discussed how teams’ drafting process doesn’t necessarily prioritize star talent.
What Does Jaylen Brown Think About the Current NBA Stars?
If you ask Celtics superstar Brown his opinion, rest assured, he will deliver an answer that will make you think. In a recent podcast, the shooting guard spoke about how he believes that the NBA is no longer the place where the world’s best players are operating. Brown spoke about that during a session on his YouTube channel with coach Jamal “DashLetics” Lovell, where they broke down game film.
Jaylen Brown says some of the most talented players are not in the NBA right now:
“That might sound crazy, but it’s not. The game has changed. In the ‘90s and 2000s? The best players in the world were in the league. But now? In the 2020s? That’s no longer the case. I do not… pic.twitter.com/9D2nTf4nSz
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 21, 2025
Brown and Lovell were cracking jokes on a Cleveland Cavaliers player at the 20:12 minute mark when Brown spoke about the fact that there are a slew of talented players not in the NBA. “That might sound crazy, but it’s not,” he said. “I think that there’s a lot of talented players in the NBA, but the NBA is built on potential right now.”
The last NBA Draft does underscore Brown’s point, as Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg led a draft class of underclassmen who decided to leap to the pros. Among them were some players who could step right in and get serious minutes, like Flagg, including guard Dylan Harper, who was picked by the San Antonio Spurs.
Others, such as center Derik Queen and point guard Ace Bailey, came in with question marks to the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz, respectively.
“There’s so many young players versus solid pros that actually know how to play basketball,” Brown continued. “One, because they’re cheaper. Two, they have more potential to be a star so they’re more valuable as an asset.”
Brown also spoke of teams like Boston and Golden State’s drafting process, aiming to pick players who can fill roles without issue instead of star talent. “The game has changed. In the ‘90s and 2000s? The best players in the world were in the league. But now? In the 2020s? That’s no longer the case.”
He concluded, “I do not believe all the best players are in the NBA. Of course, basketball is more than just talent and skill. The NBA is built on potential now. It’s about utility guys, about assets.”
Brown has always had an astute outlook on the game, and the conversation is a possible look at how he’s viewing the current makeup of his Celtics team after a postseason that ended in calamity after their loss to the New York Knicks in the second round.
The team is markedly different as guard Jayson Tatum is recovering from an Achilles tear, and veterans such as Al Horford, Jrue Holiday, and Kristaps Porzingis were traded away for a younger roster. But the tandem of Brown, Derrick White, and Peyton Pritchard might be enough to keep the Celtics competitive this season.
