Jaylen Brown shares details about special location he used as a retreat in Middle Eastern nation

Unlike many of his peers, Boston Celtics star and reigning WNBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown spent his offseason in the Middle East. Brown immersed himself in the culture of Bahrain and allotted time to visit the holy city of Mecca in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to Andscape's Marc J. Spears, Brown explained why he chose Bahrain's arid climate rather than Mexico's sandy beaches or take a European tour. It's all about learning about different cultures and breaking the misconceptions about the Middle East.

"I learned a lot. I learned about their ethics, the values," Brown said. "It’s a lot different from the U.S. Just different, things that they emphasize are different than the things that the U.S. emphasizes. They definitely have a culture that they want to maintain and I respect it."

The one-time NBA champ added:

"I like the Middle East. There are a lot of misconceptions about the Middle East, but there are a lot of pros as well that I put some value in. As I continue to grow and think about the future, family, the Middle East is definitely something that (I) think about."

In addition to enriching his knowledge about the Middle East, it was also about business for Jaylen Brown. The Boston Celtics star met with a variety of people who could connect him to various companies involved in sports, technology and more.

Brown even met with Bahrain's Crown Prince and Prime Minister, Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, one of the ambassadors for the tech company 'Hapbee.' The NBA star has invested in the company, so there will be some form of partnership moving forward.

The Georgia native is also expected to return this offseason and will try to establish his roots there. Some of the people who were with Brown during his trip include former Celtics big man Tacko Fall and popular shooting coach Chris Matthews, more famously known as 'Lethal Shooter.'

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Jaylen Brown also visited the Mecca in Saudi Arabia

Jaylen Brown at the 2025 NBA All-Star Game. (Photo: IMAGN)

Not many people might know about this, but Jaylen Brown is one of the few practicing Muslims in the NBAalong with Dennis Schroder and Kyrie Irving. With his connections in Bahrain, Brown was able to embark on the Hajj pilgrimage and visit the holy city of Mecca.

"Mecca was amazing. I can’t even put it into words," Brown said. "After we won a championship, I went to Mecca maybe a week-and-a-half later. To do that and to go on that spiritual journey, there is nothing like it."

Brown's Boston Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum told Andscape that he's a little bit jealous of him. Tatum, who is a father, sometimes wishes he had the time and freedom to visit other parts of the world.