We have seen brand wars unfold on the biggest stages. In 1992, Michael Jordan famously draped the American flag over the Team USA Reebok jacket to avoid promoting the Nike rivals. Recently, another alleged issue arose, but this time the roles were reversed. When Jaylen Brown wasn’t named as a replacement on Team USA, the Finals MVP stated it was due to Nike’s influence on Team USA as their lead sponsor. Team director Grant Hill denied such claims, but not everyone seems to believe him.

Gilbert Arenas and his crew discussed the shoe controversy in the NBA, feeling Brown’s disgruntled relationship with the Swoosh fully played a part in his exclusion. Rashad McCants traced the origins of the rivalry back to when the Celtics guard stood by Kyrie Irving after Nike broke their partnership. According to him, Jaylen Brown’s public stance in favor of KAI was the first strike against the Celtics star. Later, Stephen A. Smith revealed concerns about Brown’s marketability, further fueling the tension.

“In the middle of them having one of the best seasons they have had since they had the band together, they come out with this whole marketing. He ain’t marketable. He aint’ this he ain’t that right before the playoffs really started to take off created the narrative.Then he goes out and wins the MVP for the Eastern Conference, then he wins the actual MVP. Then they actually win the championship. And y’all still don’t got no love for me?”, McCants said in Brown’s defense. Later, Stephen A. Smith revealed concerns about Brown’s marketability, further fueling the tension.

Former Timberwolves guard Rashad McCants was sure Brown’s exclusion from the Olympic side was due to him being one of the few sneaker-free agents in the NBA. “If you ain’t Adidas or Nike, it’s up in the air,” he said.

Despite being a sneaker-free agent, Jaylen Brown would regularly wear Kobe’s during NBA games, making him an unofficial Nike athlete. The Swoosh even looked to get the perennial All-Star under contract. However, after the incident involving Kyrie Irving’s partnership with Nike, Brown began the practice of removing the swoosh from his shoes before games. Coupled with his public dismissal of the multibillion-dollar brand, there seems to be sufficient evidence to suggest Nike might have had a say in the matter.

The claim gains strength when considering that the majority of Team USA players represent Nike or Jordan, with only a handful not part of the club. For example, Anthony Edwards is an Adidas athlete. Gilbert Arenas (Agent Zero) believes Edwards can never be the face of Team USA due to his allegiance with Adidas. According to Arenas, it’s not just Nike abusing their power but Adidas as well.

Arenas breaks down the Adidas vs Nike conflict

The crew was in unison when speaking about Nike’s role in selecting the Team USA roster. Consequently, Gilbert Arenas believes Adidas as a brand has the same influence on the annual McDonald’s All-American game. The 42-year-old NBA veteran feels it’s a game of choice. If one chooses the swoosh, it gives them access to Team USA but bars them from participating in the most prominent high school basketball game in the USA.

“USA basketball is Nike so now think about Adidas kids. So now they got to leave Adidas teams and play with Nike teams so they can potentially get invited because they feel they are going to get screwed. Now let’s say you a Nike. You want to be called to the McDonald’s All-American game. I got to go ahead and switch back to Adidas. So there’s these different roles. And I don’t like the handicap because kids are really making decisions based on if I want to play USA basketball, I gotta be Nike. If I want to play the McDonald’s, I got to be Adidas,” Agent Zero revealed.

During the All-American game two years ago, there were only three Nike athletes on the roster. These included Bronny James, DJ Wagner, and JuJu Watkins, who all signed NIL deals with Nike. In the procession leading up to the game, they were asked to wear Adidas shoes, which they openly refused.

That just goes to show that it’s not only Nike who is using their influence, but Adidas too. In the case of Brown and Team USA, the team’s sheer star power makes it hard to say he was sidelined solely due to his conflict with Nike. Derrick White, who was named the replacement has equally earned his stripes and has the arsenal to be a worthy member of Team USA.

At the same time, it’s hard to imagine how the reigning Finals MVP and one of the best postseason performers didn’t make it to the team that is aimed at restoring the USA’s basketball credibility. Jaylen Brown checks every box and his versatility would have been a valuable asset available to Steve Kerr.

It just seems like it wasn’t meant to be.