Jaylen Brown's strange obsession with Macron

The NBA is finally coming back. The Media Day of the various teams has reignited the spotlight on the new season that will start on October 12th and the players are excited after a summer of work in the gym. Among all, one of the most followed is certainly Jaylen Brown. Whether it's because he is one of the key players of the reigning champions Boston Celtics, or because he has built a three-dimensional and complex character over the years, he never goes unnoticed on the court or in press conferences. In the last few days, however, his name has bounced around on various media, even non-basketball related, for reasons not quite related to the game or the court. Brown has been seen and photographed in this preseason wearing sportswear from the brand Macron, from tracksuits to backpacks. It is not clear what the connection is between Brown and the Italian brand, or the connection between Boston and Bologna, where the brand's headquarters are located, or how the Celtics player chose his outfits.

On Saturday night, Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics arrived at the Abu Dhabi arena wearing a Macron technical jersey, personalized with a print depicting a lion, and Oakley sunglasses. He was then photographed with only the backpack while crossing the court before the preseason game against the Denver Nuggets, easily won by the reigning champions thanks to Brown's 21 points. And even in the press conference, he was wearing a zip-up shirt with the Macron Hero logo prominently displayed. A surreal choice, to which no one can currently make sense of. Even in the Bologna-based company, they can't quite explain how their brand ended up on one of the most visible players in the NBA, thanks to his always eccentric fashion choices. In an era where brands are trying to get every available centimeter of an athlete, Macron has received unexpected and free worldwide publicity, made even more effective by the strangeness of how it came about.

Jaylen Brown has always had a conflicting relationship with sponsors, and after ending his five-year contract with adidas, he reportedly turned down 50 million per season to launch his personal brand, 741. The first product presented by the brand is a new sneaker called "Rover," which Brown wore this summer and is available for pre-order on the brand's website and will be shipped at the end of November. The sneakers, which will be distributed in limited quantities to ensure an exclusive experience, will be available online and at selected retailers on October 22nd, the same day the Celtics will start their new NBA season and begin defending their title against the New York Knicks. But while launching his own brand fits into the narrative that Brown is trying to convey during his NBA career, wearing a full Macron look is less so.