Jaylen Brown had a bit of a run-in with the Beverly Hills Police during the All-Star Weekend, causing plenty of NBA fans to worry about the Boston Celtics star.
The Celtics forward hosted a 741 brand panel on culture and leadership in Beverly Hills, sponsored by Oakley through Jim Jannard Jr., son of the company’s founder.
According to Brown, the gathering was held at Jannard Jr.’s private residence. He maintained there was no traffic issue, no violence, and no disturbance tied to the event. Still, it was shut down by the Beverly Hills Police Department.
“They [the police] didn’t try to work with us… They came right in and shut everything down,” Brown said. “My team operated with the utmost respect to the neighbors and everybody, and they kind of were harassed to some degree.”
Once the clip circulated, NBA fans jumped in with varying takes.
@SquirrelWestend wrote, “Beverly Hills is a very racist town. People of color get targeted there all the time.”
Beverly Hills is a very racist town. People of color get targeted there all the time.
— WestEnd Squirrel(@SquirrelWestend) February 17, 2026
@hollyloni added, “Why is he surprised? This isn’t Boston. Beverly Hills like it quiet after dark. 7pm is well after dark.”
Others pointed toward procedure. @Top50Wallet posted, “They were enforcing the laws on the books that are created by the Politicians. Don’t blame the BHPD. Blame the ordinance creators. You needed a permit and you didn’t get one. Welcome to the world the rest of us live in.”
The Beverly Hills Police Department later released a statement saying the event did not have a permit and that a previous application had been denied “due to previous violations associated with events at the address.”
“Their city. Their rules”: NBA fans lash out at Jaylen Brown’s ignorance of the law
Brown and his team argued a permit wasn’t required since the event took place at a private residence.
“We didn’t need a permit because the owner of the house, that was his space,” Brown said.
He also took to X, posting, “Beverly Hills is so trash. I’m offended, had a great panel about the future of culture with great guest. People worked hard for this. How dare y’all.”
That message didn’t land the way he may have expected.
@SarcasmISwit responded, “You showed up and thought you could do something in public just because you’re you? Their city. Their rules.”
@Rainmakers28 wrote, “I am sure your intentions were noble, but any larger organized gathering like this requires a permit, especially in the socialist state of California. No you’re not being targeted because you’re black, come on Jaylen, let’s not play the race card AGAIN here.”
@gandolph419781 added, “Your own philosophy requires big Government intervention and you have a problem getting a permit? The irony.”
What was meant to be a leadership discussion turned into a debate about permits, policing, and accountability — and NBA fans were split right down the middle.
