Jaylen Brown announced it and the NBA agreed with him. The Boston Celtics guard/winger was fined $35,000 for “public criticism of officiating,” following his outrageous statements following the 100-95 loss to the San Antonio Spurs last Saturday.
The Celtics star did not mince his words in a press conference, specifically targeting Curtis Blair, the chief referee of the match. “I’ll take the fine. Curtis Blair and the other guys were terrible. I don’t care. They can fine me”declared Brown, visibly exasperated by the refereeing of the match.
A frustration linked to a blatant gap in free throws
The source of Brown’s anger lies in the statistics of the match. The Celtics only got 4 free throws during the entire game, compared to 20 for the Spurs. A particularly frustrating gap for the four-time All-Star, who himself did not benefit from any attempt on the line despite his 27 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.
“It’s extremely frustrating. We play hard. We exceed expectations, we fight on defense. And they reward opponents with minor fouls. Then we attack and the opponents can do what they want”explained Brown, denouncing an “inconsistency” in the arbitration.
Brown’s frustration was also expressed on social media, where he posted: « Fine me I’m sick of this s–t » (“Fine me, I’m sick of this shit”), confirming his desire to assume the consequences of his words.
Despite this controversy, Brown had an excellent 2025-2026 season, posting averages of 29.6 points, 6.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists, with 49.9% shooting success and 37.2% from 3-point range. The Celtics currently sit 24-14, with Brown leading the way in Jayson Tatum’s absence.
