INDIANAPOLIS — As his identify reverberated by the sector, Jaylen Brown stood at middle courtroom in shock, processing the very fact he was simply named the Jap Convention Finals Most Beneficial Participant.
On paper, it wasn’t a shocking determination – Brown averaged 29.8 factors per recreation, hit a game-tying three-pointer to present 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 No matter the way you sliced it, at 27 years outdated, he’s smack in the course of essentially the most spectacular playoff run of his profession.
However, he didn’t see the glory coming from a mile away.
“I wasn’t anticipating that in any respect,” Jaylen Brown stated. “I don’t ever win s***.”
The assertion shouldn’t be solely true – not on paper, no less than. Drafted third total, Brown was not missed the identical manner {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 missed, underrated, misunderstood.
Whether or not it was the notorious boos that inundated Barclays Heart on the evening he was drafted in 2016, the very respectable reviews he’d be traded for Kevin Durant, his stunning omission from the All-NBA crew simply final week, Jaylen Brown has endured moments of invalidation extra continuously 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 needed to learn to y’all what an NBA supply simply despatched me,” Smith stated on First Take. “He stated, ‘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 perspective. He is aware of it. It’s the identical purpose he isn’t as marketable as he needs to 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 stated 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 generally makes folks really feel uncomfortable, and generally I miss out on issues, I miss out on alternatives, awards, advertising and marketing 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 type of individuals who would die for what they imagine 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 collection of a lifetime may solely finish a technique
In 4 video games towards the Pacers, Brown averaged 29.8 factors on 51.9% capturing, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a pair of steals. It was his highest-ever scoring common in a playoff collection.
Within the deciding recreation, he put up 29 factors on 11-22 capturing, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Similar to in Recreation 1, he was answerable for the most important clutch-time sequence of the evening, swatting an Andrew Nembhard layup on one finish and organising the game-winning shot on the different.
The well-roundedness of Jaylen Brown’s clutch impression was superior final evening.
✅ Recreation-tying step-through floater✅ Steal on the subsequent possession✅ Blocked Nembhard’s go-ahead try✅ Assisted on Derrick White’s game-winner pic.twitter.com/nm3tql5OAl
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) Might 28, 2024
“It was a hell of a go,” Joe Mazzulla stated. “And I had full religion he was going to make that learn. It was a terrific 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 area objectives and 1 of his first 4 free throws. The possible entrance runner for the award by two video games, Brown was wanting shaky at first, however turned issues round to will the Celtics to victory within the second half.
“He was getting nice pictures the entire recreation, and I believed he simply stayed with it, stayed poise,” Joe Mazzulla stated. “He’s a man that — you may’t shake him. He has nice – only a quick 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 yr lengthy.
“Marcus Good, one in all my brothers that bought traded, he was one of many voices of our crew,” Brown stated. “And when he wasn’t right here, I needed to ensure 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 believe we performed the appropriate manner each single recreation, I’ve held all people accountable, and that is the byproduct.”
Profitable the Jap Convention Finals MVP was by no means the aim — Brown made positive to right away level out that after the sport that he was simply blissful the Celtics have been in a position to shut it out.
However a number of days after being left off of All-NBA, it was a kind of poetic justice for a man coming off of the very best yr 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 bought the time to present a f***.”
Simply 4 days later, Brown took dwelling a much more significant honor that solely two gamers on the planet will earn this yr.
With a smile plastered throughout Jrue Vacation recounted the second that Jaylen Brown came upon he was named Jap Convention Finals MVP.
“It’s even higher as a result of he didn’t count on it,” Vacation stated. “That didn’t matter to him. It was about profitable, and no matter it took, nonetheless lengthy it took. When you’ve got that mentality and that mindset, you see nice folks getting rewarded for the issues that they do. It simply brings pleasure.”
