The seemingly bad conditions were perfect for Jaylen Brown.
The Celtics were left for dead after Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles last postseason. Then they lost Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday and Al Horford from the 2024 championship team. They were expected to have a gap year. No one thought they’d be competitive.
But what was overlooked in all of this is Brown’s superpower: The more he’s discounted, the more he thrives.
Brown has led a team that was supposed to tank to second place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 37-19. The Celtics are one of the NBA’s biggest surprises of the season. And Brown is one of the most notable success stories.
Only one person saw this coming.
“I always knew I was one of the best players in the world,” Brown told the California Post in an exclusive interview after the Celtics beat the Lakers on Sunday, 111-89. “I always felt like that. And on top of that, the opportunity presented itself because we got guys that got traded and injured. So, I’m just grateful to be able to have great teammates that allow me to lead them.”
When Celtics fans booed him after the franchise selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 draft, he transformed himself into a star. When pundits questioned whether he deserved the then-richest contract in NBA history in July 2023 (a supermax worth up to $304 million over five years), he responded by carrying Boston to a championship in 2024 and winning Finals MVP.
Brown loves proving people wrong. It’s how he has made a name for himself in the league. So, when everyone crossed off the Celtics, he circled them, transforming his game to a new level.
This season, he’s averaging career-highs in points (29.2), rebounds (7) and assists (4.9). Heading into the All-Star break, he’s led the Celtics to have the same seeding (second) and net rating (third) that they had last year at that time.
When asked directly if he should win the MVP Award this season, Brown didn’t hesitate.
“Me?” he questioned. “I’m the best two-way player in the world.”
Brown is currently sixth on the NBA’s MVP ladder, behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Cade Cunningham and Victor Wembanyama.
It has left some people perplexed, including LeBron James, who advocated for Brown to be included in the MVP conversation on Sunday. It was a notable endorsement considering James also pointed out in the same media availability that he remembers cameras catching Brown saying his son, Bronny, wasn’t a pro at summer league in 2024.
“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well,” James said. “Like, nobody gave them a shot to start the season. And he’s averaging what, 30? Just under 30? It’s a popularity contest sometimes, I tell you.”
As for Brown, when asked if he’s surprised he’s not getting more recognition, he didn’t hesitate.
“No. I don’t know what the criteria is,” Brown said. “But I don’t always follow the rules, so that comes with consequences. So, I get it. But I’m just going to keep doing what I do. And we’ll see what happens.”
This isn’t the first time Brown has felt as though he were snubbed.
Brown believes he was excluded from the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris because he was critical of Nike, a key sponsor of Team USA. Most notably, after Nike co-founder Phil Knight said Kyrie Irving “stepped over the line” by sharing a link to an antisemitic film in 2022, Brown posted on X, “Since when did Nike care about ethics?”
Recently, Brown has made headlines for standing up against the city of Beverly Hills after police shut down his event over All-Star weekend. The city later issued an apology to Brown, saying police had cited inaccurate information. Brown responded by thanking the city in a post on X, but added that it “embarrassed me and my brand” and asked “what about resources / partners lost?”
Despite all of the drama, Brown hasn’t lost focus on what he’s doing on the court.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla isn’t surprised by Brown’s growth. In fact, he believes regardless of Tatum’s injury and the team’s offseason moves, the 29-year-old would’ve made leaps this season.
“I would expect to see something like this, just the evolution of Jaylen, regardless of the environment around him,” Mazzulla said. ” I think he’s the type of guy who relishes in getting one percent better in whatever that looks like. And he just cares about winning.”
Payton Pritchard echoed that, pointing out that what Brown has been doing in the shadows has come into the light this season.
“He’s always been a great leader,” Pritchard said. “But it’s showing more this year because we’ve had such a veteran team. Now it’s a young group of guys thinking it’s going to be a gap year and stuff like that. And he’s leading us and doing a hell of a job.”
While everyone assumed the Celtics would let go of the rope, Brown held tight and pulled with all his might. It’s what he has done his entire career when the cards seemed stacked against him.
Not good enough? Overrated? Second fiddle to Tatum?
“I know everybody was counting us out,” Brown said. “But I knew it would make for a perfect story if we were able to figure it out. So, my mentality was being aggressive, play with a chip on my shoulder. But also lead my group through adversity, through the tough times to make sure we could come together at the right moments.”