Jaylen Brown plans to use $304 million contract to launch programs to 'make the world a better place'
BOSTON -- Jaylen Brown is a very rich man after signing a $304 million contract with the Boston Celtics. It's the biggest contract in NBA history (for now), but all that money is not going to just Brown himself.
As Brown detailed in his press conference Wednesday afternoon at the MIT Media Lab -- which is where Brown runs a Bridge Program through his 7uice Foundation -- he's ready to give a lot back to the Boston community. Boston already knows how much Brown gives back, but now it's time for the rest of the world to find out.
In a Thursday morning interview with Dana Jacobson on CBS Mornings, Brown explained why giving back is so important to him.
"I think that being an athlete, you have a lot of influence in your community and if you use it responsibly you can make the world a better place," said Brown.
"Communities need people to represent them," he said. "They feel discluded, so me being from those communities, just because I escaped those barriers that allowed me to make it to the NBA doesn't mean I'm going to forget about the groups I came from. I'm just trying to help as much as I can and just ultimately make the world a better place."
Brown said there is a lot of work to be done in order for society to improve. He intends to lead several programs that help bridge the wealth gap in Boston and bring equality throughout the city.
"I want to launch a project to bring Black Wall Street to Boston and help bridge the wealth gap. Here, the wealth disparity is Top 5 every single year I've been in Boston and nobody really talks about it. I definitely want to put some projects together and I think it will stimulate the entire economy and bring everyone up at the same time," he said.
The work will not be easy, but Brown is ready to do whatever it takes to make it happen.
"It will take some work and will be a multi-year plan, but with the right political leaders and the right selected leaders, also with the help of the NBA Player's Association, Think 450 and our brotherhood, I think we can get the job done," he said. "It's 2023 and I think we have the ability, the resources, and the mind frame to get it done. I'm looking forward to the future."
The future is always on Brown's mind, and he knows that to accomplish all of his goals off the court, he cannot do it all by himself. That is why he has placed such an emphasis on education with the work that he does through his 7uice Foundation.
"I think education is one of the most powerful devices that we have and is one of the ways our social mobility is being controlled at a very early age. Being able to have my students there who are participating in my MIT program, to get to learn directly from MIT professors, MIT scientists, NASA astronauts, you get to directly benefit from those stories and life lessons," said Brown. "My goal is to build the next leaders, the next generation of leaders for the world. I feel like with the Bridge Program, that's what I'm doing."
Brown, of course, will spend some of that $304 million on himself. When Jacobson asked if he'd buy himself anything with the new max contract, Brown had to think for a second before saying he'd likely buy a new car.
