Jaylen Brown is comforting a young Boston Celtics fan who was left heartbroken by the stunning news that he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.
The parents of Giovanni Rubin posted a video to Instagram Wednesday evening of the Randolph, Massachusetts 6-year-old in tears, wearing Brown’s No. 7 jersey.
“Why are you sad?” his mom asks in the video.
“Because Jaylen Brown got traded,” Gio replies.
He also made a sign that said “I love you JB. Come back one day.”
“I love you so much,” Gio says. “You mean a lot to me and you are my favorite player in the whole NBA. And thank you for everything that you did with the Celtics.”
Jaylen Brown reacts
The video racked up over 4 million views in just a few hours. It didn’t take long for it to catch Brown’s attention.
“It’s ok lil bro,” Brown wrote, adding a heart emoji. “we will always be friends.”
The viral post also got a comment from Norwell native and actress Jennifer Coolidge.
“I hope somebody who knows Jaylen Brown sends this to him!” she wrote. “This beautiful kid has picked his hero!!”
Gio’s message to Jaylen Brown and the Celtics
WBZ-TV caught up with Gio at his home in Randolph Thursday. He said he “had a tantrum” when his dad told him Brown got traded.
“I was really mad,” Gio said. “It’s so hard to get me that mad.”
Gio has met Brown in person two times before during school visits.
“Gio and him definitely have a connection,” his mom Gigi Jean said. “He’s always there for the kids. He’s always willing to meet the parents, he’s so humble.”
She said Brown is a role model, and she tells her son, “you gotta go to college if you want to be like Jaylen.”
“I don’t think we’ll get another player that is so into the community, that is humble, that’s educated,” she said. “Hopefully they make up for it. My baby’s sad.”
CBS Boston
Gio said Brown’s response to his Instagram video “meant a lot, really.” He wants to tell his favorite player, “I miss you and I hope you have a good time in Philly.”
And his message to the Celtics management?
“You gotta stop sending players just to go to another team even though they’re really good, and I don’t get it,” he said.
Celtics trade Jaylen Brown
The Celtics landed 36-year-old Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks in exchange for Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP.
Though there was plenty of speculation about Brown’s future in Boston this offseason, many Celtics fans are furious over the deal.
“I’m pissed!” Danielle Frazier-Keller told WBZ-TV Wednesday night. “Isn’t he an asset to this team? It just feels like they’re toying with him and the fans, and it stinks.”
“We just sold Jaylen Brown for a bag of chips,” another fan said.
Losing Brown will be felt beyond the basketball court. After signing his $304 million supermax contract in 2023, Brown has been giving back to the city through his charitable foundation and talked about wanting to “bring Black Wall Street to Boston and help bridge the wealth gap.”
“I’m really sad about it,” Kadidjha Traore said. “I thought Jaylen Brown was like a Boston staple. He does a lot of great things for the community.”
