Argonauts WR Brissett 'super proud' of brother for becoming NBA champion
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Toronto Argonauts wide receiver Dejon Brissett can’t call himself the only champion in his family anymore.
Brissett, a 2022 Grey Cup winner, watched his younger brother, Oshae, get a ring of his own when the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night.
“Everyone’s excited for our family,” said the 27-year-old pass catcher, on TSN 1050’s First Up Thursday morning. “As athletes, we put ourselves through so much physical and mental stress. For him to get that ring, I’m super proud of him.”
Brissett’s brother averaged 3.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 55 regular-season games for the Celtics this season. In the playoffs, he appeared in 10 out of 19 games, including an impressive showing in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, where he recorded seven points, three rebounds, and a block.
He is just the tenth Canadian player ever to win the Larry O’Brien trophy and the third in as many years, after Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray last summer, and Golden State Warriors wing Andrew Wiggins in 2022.
The 26-year-old small forward played for the Toronto Raptors during the 2019-20 season, before spending three seasons with the Indiana Pacers. He signed a two-year contract with the Celtics last summer.
There was more good news for Brissett on Tuesday, being named to Canada’s 20-man training camp roster ahead of the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
But as one brother’s season ends, things are just getting started for the other.
The Argonauts are gearing up for a Week 3 matchup against a familiar face in quarterback McLeod Bethel-Thompson and the Edmonton Elks on Saturday night.
Bethel-Thompson, 35, is a two-time Grey Cup winner with the Boatmen going back to 2017. He suffered a hand injury in the fourth quarter of the 109th Grey Cup game in 2022, marking the end of his time in Toronto.
“I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of chirping during the game,” said Brissett. “The league we play in, there’s a lot of turnover. Guys end up on different teams every year, so it’s normal. But it’s definitely something we’re anticipating, definitely something we’re excited for.”