Boston Celtics
“Jaylen Brown has been so resolute and dependable in the absence of Jayson Tatum and Boston is in second place in the East.”
The race for NBA MVP is heating up over the final weeks of the 2025-26 season.
There are several compelling candidates across the league, including Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Spurs center Victor Wembanyama, and Lakers guard Luka Doncic.
But, Celtics wing Jaylen Brown is also making a legitimate case for himself as Boston’s de facto leader and scoring conduit in a season where Boston has exceeded plenty of expectations.
It appears Brown has his supporters across the NBA and the broader media landscape.
During Tuesday’s episode of ESPN’s long-running show, “Pardon The Interruption,” hosts Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser both agreed that Brown should be the current frontrunner for the coveted award.
“I have a vote in this, and I will tell you that it’s tightened up,” Wilbon said of the NBA MVP race. “My vote, and I’m not even sure [of] the order, I think is — Jaylen Brown, one. I think it’s [Gilgeous-Alexander], two, and I think it’s Victor, three. And then don’t talk to me about a guy who plays half the court, Luka Doncic.”
“If Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs somehow catch OKC for first place in the West, I will cast a vote — it’s a regular-season award — for Victor Wembanyama, who isn’t just the face of the NBA, he’s the face of worldwide basketball. … Right now, Jaylen Brown maybe — he’s leading at the tape. You know what I mean?”
Brown had made the most of the opportunity presented to him this season on a Celtics roster that moved on from several starters last summer, while also trudging ahead without Jayson Tatum for the majority of the year due to an Achilles injury.
Brown rose to the occasion, with the 29-year-old star averaging career highs in points (28.5), rebounds (7.0), and assists (5.1) per game through 64 games. Beyond stuffing the stat sheet, Brown’s play has also played a key role in Boston’s continued standing as a contender in the Eastern Conference.
While some feared that Tatum’s injury and last summer’s roster overhaul would signal a “bridge year” in Boston, the Celtics currently sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 47-24 record.
With Tatum back in the fold, the Celtics could make a legitimate title run in the coming months.
Kornheiser agreed with Wilbon’s take about Brown’s candidacy this season.
“If I had a vote, and I don’t — if I had to vote today, I would vote for Jaylen. … Because Jaylen Brown has been so resolute and dependable in the absence of Jayson Tatum and Boston is in second place in the East,” Kornheiser said. “San Antonio is in second place in the West.
“But what Wembanyama has been doing lately is sort of amazing. … I could be persuaded, because I think the numbers are there [for Wembanyama]. I’m still in the Jaylen Brown camp.”
While some momentum has been building in Brown’s favor in recent weeks for MVP honors, Celtics legend Paul Pierce has stressed since January that Brown has not received enough respect as one of the top players in the league.
“I think Brown is having an MVP season,” Pierce said on Sunday at TD Garden. “I mean, not enough is being said on how he’s held down the fort for pretty much all year. … To be able to still elevate your game in your 10th year is pretty amazing, because most of the time, guys are who they are by the time they’re in their fourth, fifth year.
“But just to see his maturation process at this stage. And it’s just unfortunate that he’s not in MVP talks like he should be.”
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