Celtics Star Jaylen Brown Tests Positive For COVID-19

Boston Celtics star swingman Jaylen Brown has tested positive for COVID-19.

The Celtics confirmed Brown was ruled out of Saturday's (October 9) preseason game against the Toronto Raptors due to "health & safety protocols" in a tweet shared Friday (October 8) afternoon on their verified account.

CBS Boston reports the team also announced Brown is asymptomatic and currently quarantining, according to a press release.

Brown, 24, is entering his sixth NBA season and is coming off a 2020-21 campaign in which he was selected as an All-Star for the first time since being selected No. 3 overall by Boston in the 2016 NBA Draft.

Brown opted not to answer about his vaccination status when asked during Celtics media day to weeks ago.

“I think it’s a personal decision and have my own thoughts about it, but I respect my teammates’ decision,” Brown said. “I know everyone has an opinion on it, but it’s a personal choice.”

Celtics head coach Ime Udoka, who is vaccinated and said his goal was to get the team to a 100% vaccination rate, also tested positive last month and confirmed he experienced mild symptoms.

In January, franchise star Jayson Tatum tested positive for COVID-19 and said he battled through lasting effects as recently as last April, when he was still using an inhaler after initially being diagnosed months earlier.

“I take an inhaler before the game since I’ve tested positive,” Tatum said via Boston.com. “This has kind of helped with that and opened up my lungs and, you know, I never took an inhaler before. So that’s something different. I for sure feel better now than I did a month ago.”