Stephen A. Smith backtracks on Jaylen Brown's star capacity: "Every bit as marketable as anybody in NBA"

Stephen A. Smith has changed his mind about Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown after citing an alleged source attacking Brown's persona. The ESPN journalist had nothing but good things to say about Brown on "First Take," questioning why Brown hasn't been as marketable as other players in the association.

"Brilliant young man. Superstar-caliber kind of talent. Big-time talent. $300 million player. Model citizen. Doesn't get into any trouble whatsoever. He's an activist at heart. Politically conscientious. Speaks his mind. Believes in speaking truth to power.

"And I think from what I was told, he's also a Muslim. And I bring all of that up because when we talk about marketability, you think about all of the kinds of things that should say this guy should be every bit as marketable as anybody in the NBA."

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Smith clarifies that he didn't mean any harm when he read a text sent by an anonymous source explaining that Jaylen Brown wasn't liked because of his personality.

"I wanted to read to y’all what an NBA source just sent me,” Smith said in May. “He said, ‘Jaylen Brown, it’s not so much that he’s underrated, it’s that he’s just not liked because of his I-am-better-than-you attitude. He knows it. It’s the same reason he is not as marketable as he should be.’ That’s what an NBA source just sent me."

These remarks sparked a heated debate in the NBA, with plenty siding with Brown rather than Smith, including legend Isiah Thomas.

A lot of water has gone under the bridge, but Smith acknowledged those comments and spoke his mind about the reigning Eastern Conference finals MVP. Even before the start of the Finals, he said now would be a good time for Jaylen Brown to get a sneaker deal.

Jaylen Brown has a clear message for critics as Celtics are closer to winning the NBA Championship

Ahead of Game 3 of the Finals, Jaylen Brown was asked by Malika Andrews about trying to prove his critics wrong. He responded by saying he was focused on winning the title and nothing else.

"A championship, that's more of like a team accolade. That's what we play this game for. I guess what I was alluding to was more just how people, the discourse around myself and that's what I don't give a f**k about. What you do as a team, that's what I do care about and that's what I want to achieve. That's what I want to be a part of and I think that's what we all are here for," Brown said.

The Celtics can sweep the Mavericks tonight (June 14) to win their first NBA title since 2008. If they complete the job sweep, Brown will be a huge candidate to win Finals MVP honors.