Jaylen Brown Talks Bill Nye, Education & 741 Brand on ‘Tonight Show’

As Jaylen Brown prepares to make his fourth All-Star appearance earlier this week, he made a special appearance on Tuesday’s taping of ‘The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon’, which is the start of his fourth appearance in the competition.

You made learning fun thank you for taking a picture with me 🐐 https://t.co/CWgeEhmhNg pic.twitter.com/EYcvaXOl5J

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) November 23, 2024

 A variety of topics were discussed by the Celtics wing, including his admiration for television personality and science educator Bill Nye. Fallon brought up a tweet from Brown in November 2024 that stated his desire to meet the legendary host of Bill Nye The Science Guy during the interview. Brown explained his deep appreciation for Nye, saying, “I just grew up loving education, and he made learning fun. I know a lot of people probably feel the same way, but yeah, shout out to Bill.”

How can I meet Bill Nye the science guy 🐐

— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) November 3, 2024

Brown’s dream was fulfilled just weeks later when he met Nye after the Celtics’ road win over the Washington Wizards on Nov. 22. Reflecting on their encounter, Brown shared, “I don’t know what made me even tweet that. I think I was just up thinking about the educational experience and it just crossed my mind. I was like, ‘Man, I’ve got to meet this guy.’ His contributions to S.T.E.M. and S.T.E.A.M. have been amazing. … Growing up, I used to be excited when the teacher said, ‘We’re watching Bill Nye today.’ Looking back on it, to be able to shake his hand, for him helping me on my educational journey, it was pretty cool.”

 

 

Fallon inquired with Brown about the conversation he had with Nye while they were together. Brown revealed his aspirations for an educational collaboration, stating, “I teach — I do MIT fellowship and lectures at Harvard. I told him maybe we could do a Bill Nye spinoff or something. I would love to do something, an education journey, kind of like pass the torch and take it where he left off.”

In addition to discussing his love for education, Brown also spoke about his latest entrepreneurial endeavor, his new performance wear brand, 741. Fallon inquired as to why he chose to create his own brand rather than sign a new endorsement deal with an established company.

“I just wanted to be able to tell the story and encourage other athletes to start the journey themselves,” Brown explained. “[Independence] and understanding your value to some degree, and also just giving some different options. We have some of the same brands we’ve seen for the last ten years, and hopefully, in the next ten years, we’ll be able to see some different ones emerge.”

Fallon asked jokingly whether wearing Brown’s 741 sneakers would improve his dunking abilities after Brown proudly displayed them on his desk. With a grin, Brown responded, “So, I’m gonna tell you the truth — I’m gonna look you in the eye. … Absolutely.”

Brown discusses his incredible leap over Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell during the 2024 NBA Slam Dunk Contest during his full interview on The Tonight Show, which is available for fans to watch. Despite his charisma, passion for education, and entrepreneurial mindset, Brown is still one of the most intriguing figures in the NBA today.