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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23)
The Boston Celtics did not come to Los Angeles to be polite. They came to win, and they did exactly that. Jaylen Brown led the way with 32 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals as Boston rolled to a 111-89 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday night. Payton Pritchard remained scorching hot, adding 30 points off the bench and another buzzer beater to his collection.
After the game, LeBron James was asked about Brown. What followed was one of the more entertaining postgame exchanges of the season.
It started with genuine praise and ended with a callback nobody was expecting.
LeBron Addresses His Relationship With Brown
James did not hesitate when asked about Brown’s season. He called the play great, noted the motivation Brown had drawn from those who wrote Boston off before the year began, and made a case for his MVP candidacy.
Then came the caveat.
“Our relationship has been pretty respectful,” James said. “Besides the s**t he said about Bronny at Summer League. But other than that, we’ve been all right.”
James was referencing a moment from the 2024 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. Brown was caught on camera courtside telling WNBA players Angel Reese and Kysre Gondrezick that he did not think Bronny James was a pro. The clip went viral almost immediately, and LeBron reminded us he has not forgotten it.
When asked whether the two had moved past the moment, James smiled. “We’ll be all right,” he said. “I think he went on social media and said something about it. It’s all good. Bronny’s got a long way to go, but that’s another story.”
Brown did respond on social media at the time, writing that Bronny had all the tools around him to be successful. LeBron acknowledged the post Sunday night. The receipts, it seems, run in both directions.
James Makes Brown’s MVP Case
The Bronny comment was the moment that travelled fastest on social media, but it was not the most substantive thing LeBron said postgame. That came when he turned his attention to what Brown has actually done this season.
“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.”
LeBron was not alone in that assessment. Before the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick was asked why he was not surprised by Boston defying expectations this season. His answer was pointed. “There’s just no holes in his game,” Redick said of Brown.
Brown heard the LeBron praise and had a response. “I feel like I’m the best two way player in the world… it’s an honor for Lebron who’s arguably the best player to ever play the game to give me some high praise,” Brown said.
The numbers back the conviction. Brown is averaging 29.2 points, 7 rebounds and 4.9 assists this season, all career highs in his tenth year for the Celtics.
A Decade in the Making
The history between James and Brown stretches back further than Sunday night. Brown recalled at this year’s All-Star Weekend a conversation that stayed with him. LeBron, after watching Brown play early in his career, telling him quietly that he was going to be an All-Star one day.
Brown brought it up when they shared the floor in San Francisco.
“We talked about it at the All-Star game,” Brown said. “You remember that ten years ago? And he smiled, of course, I’m not surprised at anything you doing right now. Just keep proving people wrong.”
That exchange says something about both men. LeBron has watched Brown develop from a raw teenager into one of the best players in the league, and he said so publicly on Sunday night in a visiting locker room after a loss. Brown has carried that early belief through a decade of growth and delivered on it this season in a way few predicted.
GettyJaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics defends LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Final Word for the Celtics
Jaylen Brown told the world he would be an All-Star. He was right. He told the world he is the best two-way player in it. The numbers are making that case harder to argue against every night.
LeBron James saw it coming before almost anyone else did. Sunday night, after absorbing a 22-point defeat, he said so out loud.
That is not a small thing. Brown is proving everyone wrong. And the Celtics continue rolling.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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