Jaylen Brown sorts his Sixers teammates — and Jayson Tatum — into Hogwarts houses with the help of Harry Potter himself
The Sixers star joined Daniel Radcliffe on "The Young Man and the Three," where they debated Hogwarts houses for LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, and even his former Celtics teammates like Jayson Tatum.
Jaylen Brown has watched the Harry Potter movies more times than he can count. But apparently, even Harry Potter himself can’t tell him which Hogwarts house he belongs in.
The Sixers star appeared on The Young Man and the Three podcast alongside Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who portrayed Harry Potter in all eight films. The conversation eventually turned to Hogwarts, the fictional wizarding school where students are divided into four houses based on their personalities and characteristics.
Brown, a longtime fan of the franchise, wanted Radcliffe to sort him and his Sixers teammates into Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff.
Radcliffe believed Brown belonged in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw, houses associated with courage and intelligence, respectively.
Brown had another idea.
“I’m Slytherin, bro,” Brown said.
“Why does everybody want to be Slytherin?” Radcliffe responded.
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Slytherin has a reputation for producing some of the franchise’s most notorious villains, including Lord Voldemort, the series’ main antagonist. But Brown argued that the house, traditionally associated with ambition and cunning, gets an unfair reputation.
“Everybody in Slytherin is not evil,” Brown said.
Brown took his defense a step further, explaining that darkness isn’t necessarily negative. He compared it to planting seeds in soil, the body’s need for sleep, and the stars at night.
“Darkness is essential to growth, essential to life,” Brown said. “It’s not necessarily bad.”
Radcliffe eventually accepted Brown’s argument, acknowledging that he had oversimplified the house’s characteristics.
“Sorry, bro. You’re Slytherin,” Radcliffe said.
With Brown’s Hogwarts identity settled, the discussion shifted to his teammates and other NBA figures.
Brown placed LeBron James in Gryffindor, Harry Potter’s house, before making another selection that required little deliberation.
“[Tyrese] Maxey is definitely Gryffindor. It’s not even a question,” Brown said.
He suggested second-year guard VJ Edgecombe belonged in Ravenclaw, citing his intelligence and studious personality.
“I think VJ gives me some Ravenclaw vibes,” Brown said.
Brown also selected reserve center Tacko Fall for Hufflepuff, a house associated with loyalty, patience, and hard work. Radcliffe admitted that Hufflepuff can be difficult to categorize because its defining qualities overlap with those of other houses.
The conversation then shifted to Brown’s former Celtics teammates.
Brown suggested Jayson Tatum might belong in Hufflepuff and confidently assigned Derrick White to the same house. He also identified his former coach, Joe Mazzulla, as a Slytherin.
Radcliffe appeared amused by the selections, particularly after Brown explained that being placed in Slytherin should be considered a compliment rather than an insult.
The conversation wasn’t Brown’s first public display of Harry Potter fandom.
Before the 2024 NBA Finals, Brown revealed on ABC’s Good Morning America that he had binge-watched the eight films during Boston’s extended break. He identified Albus Dumbledore and Hermione Granger as characters to whom he related, particularly admiring Hermione’s organizational abilities.
Boston then defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games, and Brown earned Finals MVP.
For Brown, meeting Radcliffe represented something considerably more personal than an ordinary podcast appearance.
“The 11-year-old in me is ecstatic,” Brown said. “I’m a fan of your work and everything that you’ve been a part of.”
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Radcliffe admitted he had been nervous about appearing on a basketball podcast, joking that listeners might wonder why they were hearing from an English actor rather than discussing the NBA.
But Brown was thrilled to have him there.
Near the end of the conversation, Brown said he had watched the Harry Potter series “probably 100 times over,” thanking Radcliffe for the opportunity to meet the person behind one of his favorite fictional characters.
And after years of admiring the wizarding world, Brown finally had a chance to tell Harry Potter himself where he felt he belonged.
Even if Radcliffe needed a little convincing.
Beat reporters Gina Mizell and Chris Hine break down their most intriguing quotes from LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey during the preseason, along with what they most hope to learn about this revamped roster during the first month of the season. Watch here.
Watch the full interview below and subscribe to the Sixers Extra podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
