"This dude is like a mutant" - Jaylen Brown Apologizes to Scottie Barnes After Fueling Autistic Jokes on Raptors Star with 'Extra Chromosome' Remark

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown apologized to Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes for his comments last week that drew negative fan reactions.

During a stream on Twitch, Brown praised Barnes following his performance in the Celtics' 121-113 win over the Raptors on Dec. 7. The Raptors wing finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Brown said:

"Scottie Barnes is strong as s**t. This motherf***er got, like, that extra chromosome strength. Like, he just some type of Ninja Turtle, or something, that boy strong as hell."

The Celtics star's "extra chromosome" comment earned flak from fans, with some pointing out its association with some intellectual disabilities and conditions.

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In Saturday's episode of "White Noise Podcast with Derrick & Welsh," Brown admitted the mistake in his choice of words.

"First, I didn’t know that was a thing," Brown said. "For Scottie, I said the comments, but I didn’t know that was something that people had already been teasing him about or something like that. So I apologize for that for being unaware of that. "But when I made the comment I was really trying to give him a compliment, maybe it was a poor choice of words. ... When I said extra chromosome, people looked at it like something negative I was trying to say. But I was thinking like Superman, Incredible Hulk, I’m a Marvel guy, so extra chromosome would be a benefit."

Brown also addressed the communities that might have taken offense at his remarks.

"I wasn’t thinking of making fun of any community, let alone autistic community," Brown added. "So I will apologize for adding to the fire of something I wasn't aware of. ... When I was referencing his strength, I was referencing it in the sense like, 'This dude is like a mutant.' Like, he is that strong."

In their first meeting against Toronto nearly two weeks ago, Jaylen Brown led Boston with 30 points, eight rebounds and five assists. The Celtics held off a late rally from the Raptors, who overcame a 23-point deficit to briefly take the lead in the fourth quarter.

Jaylen Brown will miss Saturday's game against Scottie Barnes and the Raptors

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown will miss his second game of the season on Saturday when they visit the Toronto Raptors. Brown was a late addition to the injury list, as the team announced 90 minutes before tipoff that he is sidelined due to a non-COVID illness.

It is unclear if Brown will be with his team at Scotiabank Arena, but he did say on Saturday that he plans to apologize to Scottie Barnes personally.

Sharpshooter Sam Hauser replaced Jaylen Brown in Boston's starting lineup on Saturday. Guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard are expected to carry the offensive load in the 2024 NBA Finals MVP's absence, while rookie Hugo Gonzalez and forward Josh Minott will likely get increased minutes.

Coming into the game, Toronto (17-11) is No. 3 in the Eastern Conference, just half a game ahead of fourth-placed Boston (16-11).

Edited by Kim Daniel Rubinos