Although he has never won the regular-season MVP award, Jaylen Brown is the 2024 NBA Finals MVP and knows what it takes to win at the highest level. He recently spoke out on the growing trend of “flopping” and shared his stance on the issue.
Jaylen Brown Admits That Flopping Is Essential To Win the NBA MVP Award in Current Times
Flopping, when players exaggerate contact to fool referees for free throws, has become a growing NBA issue, and OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has taken heat for it, even being tagged a “free-throw merchant.” With opinions split on whether it’s smart or shameful, Brown weighed in on the trend and broke down the problem in detail.
Acts such as flopping and foul baiting are largely frowned upon by veteran fans. After all, they often lack determination and may even appear sneaky. However, these professional athletes likely believe that they are being fouled on every possession, leaving them no choice but to exaggerate contact to gain the referee’s attention.
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There are also cases in which players deliberately attempt to make contact, such as kicking their legs out on jump shots, in an effort to draw foul calls potentially. Brown is well aware of this and admitted that the only way to the very top of the league involves mastering the arts of flopping and foul baiting.
“If you want to be a great player, you gotta sell your soul. You gotta be a flopper. If you want to be MVP, you want to be top of the top, you gotta sell your soul and just be a flopper.”
“I could do it. I could start going to practice and like, working on… like working on throwing my head, you know what I mean?”
Upon hearing the Celtics star make this statement, fans may find themselves amused by attempting to imagine the special workouts that stars such as Gilgeous Alexander engage in to influence foul calls against officials. If any such workout exists, throwing your head back and flailing your limbs is essential to success.
All jokes aside, there is no denying that every player across the league, including Brown, occasionally flops in an attempt to gain crucial calls that they feel they deserve. Since all of them engage in foul baiting at some level, attacking Gilgeous-Alexander for mastering the same craft should be done within limits.
In any case, trips to the free throw line are something that every star wants in excess. Hopefully, acts of flopping do not damage the integrity and legacy of basketball.
