Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown’s stock has never been higher, but it wasn’t all too long ago that he was the butt of all jokes. Brown was ridiculed at one point for struggling to dribble with his left hand, and he addressed that narrative during an interview with former NBA player Brian Scalabrine for NBCS Boston.
“I think there was some truth to it,” Brown said. “If you see, I got a big scar right here. I had a major surgery on my left wrist, and then I actually reinjured it again in 2023. So in 2021, I had a major surgery where I tore all the ligaments on my left hand. So, basketball, the game is ruthless. If a team knows that you had an injury, they’re gonna try to force you to that.
“And then I had a loose body again in 2023, where I had a chip in my wrist that had to get fixed,” Brown continued. “So, I think that was a real criticism or critique of my game is that I struggled going left, but a lot of it was due to injury.
“As I’ve gotten more healthy, I’ve done stem cells and stuff like that in my wrist that’s helped improve the flexibility and the motion,” Brown added. “I’ve been able to get back to being more progressive with my left hand. But at one point, I barely could dribble the ball with my left hand at times. So, I was out there playing with one hand behind my back.”
It sure seemed that way, especially in 2023. Most notably, Brown struggled massively as the Celtics lost to the Miami Heat in seven games in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals. He averaged 19.0 points while shooting just 41.8% from the field and 16.3% from beyond the arc in that series.
Following the Heat’s triumph, forward Caleb Martin revealed their game plan was to keep forcing Brown left. Teams had realized they could render him ineffective by doing so.
Brown mentioned in that interview when those issues began. Back in May 2021, the Celtics had ruled him out for the rest of the 2020-21 season due to a torn scapholunate ligament in his left wrist. There were concerns Brown might miss the start of next season as well, but he didn’t. While he was able to play, those issues with the left hand didn’t quite go away.
Despite that and Brown’s struggles against the Heat, the Celtics gave him a five-year supermax extension worth up to $303.7 million in July 2023. At the time, it was the richest deal in NBA history.
The Celtics faced a lot of criticism for giving Brown that massive contract, but he has repaid their faith in him. He helped them win the NBA championship in 2024 and was named Finals MVP.
Brown still had his doubters despite playing such a big role in the Celtics going all the way. After they lost Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles tendon in the 2025 playoffs and then traded away Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in the offseason, many expected them to struggle in the 2025-26 season.
Celtics analyst Bob Ryan doubted Brown could even lead them to a top-six seed in the East, and he was far from the only one to think along those lines. This was supposed to be a down year, but the five-time All-Star has ensured that wouldn’t be the case.
Brown has averaged 28.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in 2025-26. The 29-year-old has led the Celtics to an excellent 52-25 record, and they look set to be the second seed in the East.
Thanks to his and the Celtics’ success, Brown has received some MVP buzz. It’s unlikely he wins, but to go from where he was once to where he is now is remarkable.
We’ll see Brown in action next when the Celtics take on the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET.
