Jaylen Brown was a crucial reason for the Celtics’ historic net rating and 64-win record this season, even though he was snubbed from All-NBA. Moments like that, along with the trade rumors that surrounded him for years and the hate he has received from fans over his contract, his play-style, and more have made him the player he is today, as Brown told Mellisa Rohlin of FOX Sports.
“All the things that I thought were setting me back or adversity ended up being the biggest blessings. Getting moved to the bench, even trade talks, getting booed, whatever the fans were saying, overpaid, overrated. All of that stuff made me who I am today.”
Brown sheds light on his mentality while dealing with the hate he has received over his career, discussing the almost robot-like exterior he’s had to put on just to survive.
“I’ve been developing it for so long that I completely forget where it comes from. But it comes from the outside world and me navigating it. I felt like I had to build it to protect myself. I’ve been in it for so long I can’t even remember what it is not to be like this. It makes you a little robotic. But I needed to do that to survive.”
He made it clear that he used the perceived disrespect towards him as a chip on his shoulder.
“I always have a chip on my shoulder because I feel like how I think of myself, others don’t think of me. It makes you want to go work and go out and prove everything.”
Brown is starting to get his flowers, being named Eastern Conference Finals MVP for his clutch moments and dependable play despite Jayson Tatum outscoring, rebounding, and assisting him.
The impact Jaylen has on this franchise’s winning habits cannot be understated, and winning the 2024 NBA Finals could create the validation through performance that Brown feels fans or media haven’t given him. He’s averaging 21.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.5 assists through the first two games of the NBA Finals, leading the Celtics in scoring.
Jason Kidd Called Jaylen Brown The Best Player On The Celtics
One of the most notable quotes to come out after the Celtics Game 1 win over the Mavericks was Mavs head coach Jason Kidd openly talking about how Brown is the best player on the Celtics.
“Well, Jaylen [Brown] is their best player, so just looking at what he does defensively. Picked up Luka full-court, he got to the free-throw line,” said Kidd. “That’s what your best player does. Just understand that he plays both sides, defense and offense at a high rate and he’s been doing that the whole playoffs. When you talk about the Eastern Conference MVP, just continue to pick up where you left off.”
The comments were quickly dismissed by almost everyone on the Celtics, seeing it for the mental tactic that it is. But it doesn’t discount the growing perception that Brown is the reason behind this team’s success, especially in the postseason. He’s averaging 24.6 points and 6.0 rebounds through the Playoffs and has been one the most consistent players on the franchise.
Whether Brown is better than Tatum or not is immaterial, as the pair are two wins away from becoming NBA Champions together. That is more valuable than any media award either player could get, which will lead to them tuning out the noise to focus on their ultimate goal.
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