DeMarcus Cousins: Brown trade was a personal shot

Cousins, a former Celtics team-mate of both men, argued that the front office's discomfort was never with Brown's game but with his independence and the way he carries himself. He pointed to Brown's own admission that he and Tatum had not spoken since the deal as proof of how little support he received from a player he won a championship alongside.

"I honestly believe it was more of a personal shot at who Jaylen Brown is as a person. At the way he carries himself, the level of confidence he walks through life with, his level of intelligence, and the fact that he's just a proud Black man, you know what I mean? To a lot of people in this business, that looks frightening. The fact that Jaylen came out and openly said that he and Tatum haven't even spoken - that says a lot. Especially when you're talking about a guy you spent nine years alongside, won a championship with, went through multiple conference finals with, and all the things he listed. And here I am, at one of the lowest points of my career, and there's not a word from someone who supposedly loved and valued me. Being a good teammate and a good employee for the organisation usually just means shutting your damn mouth and doing whatever you're told. So draw whatever conclusions you want from that. But personally, I expected a lot more support from Tatum throughout this whole process," said Cousins.