Boston Celtics
“I feel like it’s Celtic history being able to have Bill Nye in the Auerbach center. That’s pretty cool.”
Bill Nye, the Emmy-winning science educator who received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this year, came to Brighton to pay Celtics star Jaylen Brown a visit on Monday.
The Celtics were hosting their annual media day event, and just before it was Brown’s turn to take the podium, Nye settled into a seat amongst the reporters.
After meeting at a Celtics-Wizards game in D.C. last year, Nye attended Brown’s launch for his 741 apparel company at the Museum of Science last year. Brown returned the favor, attending the dedication ceremony for Nye’s Hollywood Star last week.
One reporter, seated to Nye’s right, asked Brown what Nye’s support meant to him.
“Who is that guy?” Brown asked, flashing a grin. “I don’t know who that guy is.”
“No, it’s an honor,” Brown said. “I feel like it’s Celtic history being able to have Bill Nye in the Auerbach center. That’s pretty cool.”
Brown said he planned to have Nye perform some science experiments on his Twitch stream.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to be here and talk about things outside of just sports,” Brown said. “Also, how you have sports but how sports correlates to science, education and learning. He merged these worlds and it’s going to have a real impact on the next generation.”
Nye stepped in and asked the final question of Brown’s press conference.
“WNBA is coming on, fabulous, very entertaining to watch,” Nye said. “They play with a synthetic ball. Have you guys thought about changing — my understanding is you give the new balls to the new guys and make them break it in because the balls are too difficult to get a drip on at first.”
“Have you guys thought about changing to a synthetic ball?” asked Nye.
Brown said he had “100 percent” considered it. He said he put forth a proposal that was ultimately rejected.
“I think to this day we still use a pig skin as a basketball and I actually pushed a few years back to make the ball more sustainable,” Brown said. “I had an idea that I proposed, I think, even to Boston … Proposed a basketball made of recycled materials of trash in Boston, so it’s like you could have a ball that’s made from the essence of your environment, but it’s all sustainable. I think it got turned down.”
Brown’s foundation, 7uice, focuses on four areas of impact in an effort to bridge opportunities gaps for young people in traditionally underserved communities.
Sustainability and technology is listed on the foundation’s website as one of those areas. Brown has been outspoken about his love for science and has dedicated resource to making educational opportunities more accessible for local kids.
“We all admire it, that a guy at that high of a level is concerned with bringing young people up behind him,” Nye said. “It’s fantastic. He’s a model for everybody. It’s easy to say, but he’s the real deal.”
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