Jaylen Brown compares Grant Williams’ goal to a Ray Lewis tackle

Former Cal standout Jaylen Brown made it clear he wasn’t happy with the hit Charlotte’s Grant Williams put on Jayson Tatum during Friday’s NBA game, compared to the hit delivered by Hall Of Fame football linebacker Ray Lewis.

Tatum dribbled downfield on a fast break when Williams plowed into Tatum at center half. Williams was ejected from the game for the action.

What made the hit particularly puzzling is that Tatum and Williams were teammates with the Celtics for four seasons, from 2019 to 2023, and were friends.

Brown scored 25 points in the 124-109 win over the Hornets, and he voiced his opinion when asked if he thought Williams’ goal was unintentional.

“Like, what are we talking about? Y’all seeing the same play I saw?” Brown said: “He hit him like it was a football match. Like Ray Lewis coming through the middle or something. It is what it is. Grant knows better than that.’

Brown said earlier in the interview that this type of play has no place in the NBA.

“I thought JT and Grant were friends. I don’t think so,” Brown said.

Brown can be seen staring at Williams after the disputed play as Brown walks back to the Celtics huddle, clearly angry about what Wimmiams did.

Williams said Kayla Burton of NBC Sports Boston that he had no intention of injuring Tatum and said Brown got a bigger deal out of the play.

“I’m not trying to hurt anyone. We all know this is one of my best friends in the league,” Williams said. “JB has escalated it a little bit, but I understand he’s trying to protect his teammate. But that’s (Tatum) my dog. No matter what happens, I’ll support him. … No malice or any problem with that.”

The Hornets and Celtics play again today (Saturday) in Charlotte, North Caroplina, and that game promises to be interesting. But Brown is expected to sit out the game with a hip flexor injury.

Brown, a three-time all-star who was the MVP of both the Eastern Conference finals and the NBA Finals, is averaging 25.7 points this season for the defending NBA champion Celtics, who are 5-1 this season.

However, Brown struggles with his shooting. He was 0-for-6 on three-point shots in Friday’s game and was 1-for-21 from long range in the past three games. For the season, he is shooting 40.0 percent from the field overall and 26.7 percent from beyond the three-point line.

During the 2023-2024 regular season, Brown shot 49.9 percent from the floor and 35.4 percent from three-pointer while averaging 25.7 points.

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