Jaylen Brown Credits Bill Nye for His ‘Love for Science’

Celtics star Jaylen Brown took center stage in Hollywood to honor longtime TV personality and science educator Bill Nye, who received his own star on the Walk of Fame.

On Monday, Brown, who has often credited Nye with making “learning fun” for him and countless other kids, delivered a heartfelt tribute during the ceremony that celebrated Nye’s decades-long impact on education and pop culture.

“My love for science runs deep, and I have Bill to thank for that,” Brown said. “But not just for myself — for a generation of students who grew up in the public school system, possibly thinking that school was not for them. Bill was the bright spot in all of our day. When they rolled that TV out with the trolley, we knew what time it was.”

He added, “But Bill did not just teach science. He taught a generation of students of all walks of life to explore, to discover, to create, and also to ask questions.”

Brown honoring Nye is a full-circle moment, as back in November 2024, the NBA Finals MVP posted on X about his desire to meet the scientist, and he finally got the opportunity a few weeks later after a Celtics game in Washington, DC.

“So, Bill, this Walk of Fame is not just for an incredible career. It’s also for the curiosity you spark, the doors you’ve opened, and the minds you continue to inspire all over the globe,” Brown said. “This Walk of Fame is more than deserving […] Thank you from a generation of students who grew up watching you, listening to your voice. Thank you for changing the world, one dad joke and one science experiment at a time.”

Nye’s science education show, Bill Nye the Science Guy, aired for six seasons from 1993 to 1999 and earned 19 Emmys during its run. The show was created by Nye alongside James McKenna, and Erren Gottlieb. Nye played a fictionalized scientist version of himself.