Jaylen Brown opened up about the lingering frustration from the Celtics’ 2022 NBA Finals loss while speaking on the FCHWPO Twitch stream. Nearly three years later, the defeat still weighs on him, especially given how close Boston came to finishing the job.
“They beat us in the Finals. Steph took one of my rings, you can’t be mad at it… But I’m still mad about that s**t,” Brown said. “For one week, I didn’t leave my house. We should have won.”
The 2022 Finals ultimately belonged to Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Curry delivered one of the defining performances of his career, averaging 31.2 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 0.2 blocks per game, earning his first Finals MVP while leading Golden State to a six-game series win.
It was an impressive performance on all fronts that marked the fourth championship of Curry’s career. More importantly, the Warriors won the series without Kevin Durant, further cementing the legacy of their core and reinforcing the dynasty’s staying power.
From Boston’s perspective, the loss felt like a missed opportunity. The Celtics held a 2-1 series lead and had multiple chances to seize control, but offensive inconsistency and late-game execution issues allowed Golden State to swing momentum. For Brown and the Celtics, the defeat was as much about what slipped away as what the Warriors earned.
In the end, Curry and the Warriors outplayed Brown and Jayson Tatum when it mattered most, making Golden State the rightful champions. Still, Boston would eventually find redemption. Two years later, the Celtics broke through with a Finals win of their own, easing the sting, even if the memory of 2022 still lingers for Brown.
Had the Celtics closed the deal that summer, Brown would be a two-time champion right now and on pace to become a true franchise legend. The entire trajectory of his career would have changed, and his legacy might already be secured as an all-time great two-way player.
As for Brown’s bold claim about beating Curry one-on-one, fans remain unconvinced. While Curry may be undersized, his shooting gravity and scoring ability are unmatched, and few players in league history have been able to neutralize him in isolation.
So while Brown may feel he was robbed of his first title attempt, history tells a different story. The Celtics were outplayed by a Warriors team that was deeper, more experienced, and better prepared for the moment.
It was a humbling experience for Boston, but it helped lay the foundation for future success. Now at 15-11, the Celtics are in a different place, and Brown is enjoying arguably the best season of his career, averaging 29.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game on 50.0 percent shooting (36.1 percent from three).
For Brown, the pain of 2022 clearly still lingers, even as Boston has moved forward. The loss helped shape who the Celtics are now, but it also left behind a sense of unfinished business for those who lived it. As the team continues to chase more titles, that Finals defeat remains a reminder of how thin the margin is between regret and redemption.
