Stevens: Brown's Olympic snub is likely to fuel his fire even more

Stevens believes that Brown's Olympic snub will likely only motivate him even more, leading to an increase in his determination and drive.

Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown does a great job of finding motivation, and he's used it throughout his career to become one of the best basketball players in the world.

A lot has been said and written about Brown not being selected to the United States men's basketball team for the 2024 Paris Olympics, especially when he wasn't chosen after Kawhi Leonard dropped out.

A player of his caliber deserved to be on the team, especially after he helped the Celtics win their 18th championship in the spring -- a playoff run that included him winning both Eastern Conference MVP and NBA Finals MVP.

Will the Olympic snub motivate Brown even more entering the upcoming NBA season? Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens thinks it could.

"I think Jaylen could be on any Olympic team any given year," Stevens recently told The Boston Globe's Adam Himmelsbach. "He could be a featured part of those teams. I saw [USA Basketball director Grant Hill] said he'd love to sit down and talk to him about being part of that pool in '28, whatever that may be.

"But I think Jaylen is one of the best players in the world. And one of the best things about Jaylen is whether he gets the call and makes the team or doesn't get the call, he's going to use it as motivation to get better. So I know he's working and he's excited about improving.

"I think he'll truly embrace the challenges that come with winning last year. That's who he's always been. And this will probably add more fuel to his fire. But he doesn't need much fuel added. He finds it."

Three of Brown's Celtics teammates -- Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Jrue Holiday -- are on the 2024 squad in Paris.

Team USA will play France on Saturday in the gold medal game. The United States is seeking its fifth straight gold medal in men's Olympic basketball.