BNV BLACK PEARLS: Celtics’ Jaylen Brown committed to NBA success, social justice

Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics represents the next generation of NBA superstars. The 26-year-old averages 27 points and seven rebounds per game. Brown’s output is distinctive by the thunderous, posterizing dunks and long-range jump shots that routinely tickle nets. This year, the Celtics rewarded Brown with a record $304-million, five-year contract. But something else besides this spectacular wealth makes Brown noteworthy. Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game, Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2016, in Amherst, Massachusetts Photo credit: Jessica Hill, The Associated Press Brown is a conspicuous social activist and philanthropist. He also is outspoken about police brutality against Black people, income inequality, and advocacy for youth education.   When interviewed, Brown speaks in a slow, moderated, and resolute tone. His eyes shine intensely, almost glaringly, like what happens seconds after he finishes a rim-shaking dunk against hapless defenders.  “The wealth disparity in Boston is ridiculous,” Brown told a New York Times sportswriter in March.& He cited a 2015 report by the Federal Reserve that the median wealth of Black households – a quarter of the region’s population – was close to zero, while the average for white households was $247,500. “There’s not a...