INDIANAPOLIS — As his identify reverberated by the sector, Jaylen Brown stood at middle court docket in shock, processing the actual fact he was simply named the Japanese Convention Finals Most Precious Participant.
On paper, it wasn’t a surprising choice – Brown averaged 29.8 factors per sport, hit a game-tying three-pointer to offer the Celtics life in Recreation 1, exploded for 40 factors in Recreation 2, and completely arrange Derrick White’s game-winning three-pointer in Recreation 4. No matter the way you sliced it, at 27 years previous, he’s smack in the course of essentially the most spectacular playoff run of his profession.
However, he didn’t see the dignity coming from a mile away.
“I wasn’t anticipating that in any respect,” Jaylen Brown mentioned. “I don’t ever win s***.”
The assertion shouldn’t be completely true – not on paper, no less than. Drafted third total, Brown was not ignored the identical approach {that a} second-round prospect like Nikola Jokic might need been. And in contrast to Jamal Murray, who’s by no means been an All Star, Brown has been chosen thrice. The cash has additionally adopted his success; subsequent season, he’ll be one of many highest-paid gamers within the league.
Nonetheless, anybody who has intently adopted Brown’s journey by the NBA is aware of precisely what he was referring to in that second – the distinct sample of being ignored, underrated, misunderstood.
Whether or not it was the notorious boos that inundated Barclays Heart on the evening he was drafted in 2016, the very reputable stories he’d be traded for Kevin Durant, his shocking omission from the All-NBA staff simply final week, Jaylen Brown has endured moments of invalidation extra ceaselessly than the common NBA famous person, oftentimes dwelling within the shadow of Jayson Tatum, his co-star.
Simply final week, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith commented on Brown’s lack of marketability:
“I wished to learn to y’all what an NBA supply simply despatched me,” Smith mentioned on First Take. “He mentioned, ‘Jaylen Brown, it’s not a lot that he’s underrated, it’s that he’s simply not appreciated due to his I-am-better-than-you angle. He is aware of it. It’s the identical purpose he isn’t as marketable as he must be.’ That’s what an NBA supply simply despatched me.”
Jaylen Brown fired again on X, tweeting: “State your supply.”
“At this level, I’m at that section in my life the place I simply embrace all types of negativity or regardless of the case is,” Brown mentioned after Recreation 4. “Some stuff I don’t perceive, it ain’t meant for me to grasp it. However I simply know who I’m and what I stand for typically makes individuals really feel uncomfortable, and typically I miss out on issues, I miss out on alternatives, awards, advertising offers, or regardless of the case could also be.”
“At this level, I simply embrace it. I’m who I’m, and I’m gonna stand on my beliefs. And I’m a kind of individuals who would die for what they consider in. So, I simply embrace it at this level, and I’m grateful that I’m in a position to be on this place, and the vitality is about to shift.”
The sequence of a lifetime may solely finish a method
In 4 video games in opposition to the Pacers, Brown averaged 29.8 factors on 51.9% taking pictures, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a couple of steals. It was his highest-ever scoring common in a playoff sequence.
Within the deciding sport, he put up 29 factors on 11-22 taking pictures, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Identical to in Recreation 1, he was chargeable for the largest clutch-time sequence of the evening, swatting an Andrew Nembhard layup on one finish and establishing the game-winning shot on the different.
The well-roundedness of Jaylen Brown’s clutch influence was superior final evening.
Recreation-tying step-through floater
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) Might 28, 2024
“It was a hell of a go,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “And I had full religion he was going to make that learn. It was an excellent learn.”
Brown in all probability secured the ECF MVP within the second half, when he scored 19 factors on 7-11 pictures. That got here after he began off sluggish, making simply 1 of his first 6 discipline targets and 1 of his first 4 free throws. The possible entrance runner for the award by two video games, Brown was wanting shaky to start with, however turned issues round to will the Celtics to victory within the second half.
“He was getting nice pictures the entire sport, and I believed he simply stayed with it, stayed poise,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “He’s a man that — you’ll be able to’t shake him. He has nice – only a brief time period reminiscence. If he misses a shot, [it] by no means impacts the subsequent one.”
Maybe most meaningfully, Brown stepped into a possible management void and solidified himself as an unwavering voice all 12 months lengthy.
“Marcus Good, considered one of my brothers that obtained traded, he was one of many voices of our staff,” Brown mentioned. “And when he wasn’t right here, I wished to verify I stepped in, guarantee that all people felt me and all people knew what the usual was. And we didn’t skip no steps all season. I feel we performed the precise approach each single sport, I’ve held all people accountable, and that is the byproduct.”
Successful the Japanese Convention Finals MVP was by no means the purpose — Brown made positive to right away level out that after the sport that he was simply glad the Celtics had been in a position to shut it out.
However a number of days after being left off of All-NBA, it was a type of poetic justice for a man coming off of the most effective 12 months of his profession. After a 40-point Recreation 2, Brown shrugged off not being named All-NBA.
“We two video games from the Finals. Actually, I don’t obtained the time to offer a f***.”
Simply 4 days later, Brown took house a much more significant honor that solely two gamers on the earth will earn this 12 months.
With a smile plastered throughout Jrue Vacation recounted the second that Jaylen Brown came upon he was named Japanese Convention Finals MVP.
“It’s even higher as a result of he didn’t count on it,” Vacation mentioned. “That didn’t matter to him. It was about profitable, and no matter it took, nonetheless lengthy it took. When you could have that mentality and that mindset, you see nice individuals getting rewarded for the issues that they do. It simply brings pleasure.”
