Even being an athlete, you would think that you’ve got a certain amount of influence to be able to have experiences, to be able to have some things that doors open a little bit easier. But even with me being who I am, trying to start a business, trying to buy a house, trying to do certain things, you run into some adversity.
I’d be curious to hear him elaborate on this.
Me too. I would love to hear about the difficulty a multi-millionaire has in buying a house.
I thought this, like Jaylen's other statements about his experience with racism and treatment as an athlete, was pretty straightforward, and (mostly) not something exclusive to Boston. I think the racism comments can be taken either way, but it's certainly one of the more diplomatic answers an athlete has given, including Boston's own players. It bothers me that the media only asks this about Boston, but I don't think anything Jaylen said is false. The business/housing comments I chalk up to youth.
For example, buying/leasing retail property in Seaport and starting a clothing brand and foundation (7uice) is really hard, and frankly, as someone who has worked with professional athletes before, it is harder and a different kind of business than most high draft picks are used to. It's less name/image/likeness and more money/power/connections, and most athletes as business-inclined as Jaylen are are hesitant to overspend in business endeavors. They're used to low-risk endeavors like endorsement deals. And, as young men who have about 15 years to make enough money to last them and their families, they are understandably hesitant to engage in capital-intensive business deals. This is compounded by the fact that people have probably been trying to take advantage of them for years.
Additionally, like most business verticals, Boston commercial real estate is cut-throat and gate-kept in its own unique ways. For example, a friend of mine was talking to a bubble tea shop in Newton that was bidding on the rights to lease a small commercial property in Harvard Square, and their max of $18,000/month was swiftly rejected in favor of a higher, foreign bidder. I've heard rumors that the CVS on JFK Street pays over $100,000 per month. Money talks, but only if you have the most and are willing to spend it. Imagine the shock a rookie celebrity must have had to realize his small-footprint clothing store would cost 5-figures a month to have a retail location.
Additionally, Wellesley is a really weird place to live and does not like outsiders. It's predominantly white (77.1% of pop, according to the census), and Asian (13.2%, which is likely heavily skewed by Wellesley College and Babson). Only 2.9% Black/African, which I'd also imagine is mostly college students.
I've had Asian friends who have absolutely experienced covert and overt racism in Wellesley, most having to do with White residents who assume they are students and will brazenly and profanely tell them to move out as soon as possible and that they are not welcome. And, not that it matters, but these are very quiet and 2nd+ generation Americans whose primary language is English. They are certainly not instigating any of these happenings.
Boston is my favorite city in the US and certainly, in my opinion, one of the better places to live. But, like all places, it has its warts, which are definitely compounded for pro athletes by an intensely passionate fan base.
Sources:
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/wellesleycdpmassachusetts#