INDIANAPOLIS — As his title reverberated by way of the world, Jaylen Brown stood at middle court docket in shock, processing the very fact he was simply named the Jap Convention Finals Most Useful Participant.
On paper, it wasn’t a shocking resolution – Brown averaged 29.8 factors per sport, hit a game-tying three-pointer to offer the Celtics life in Sport 1, exploded for 40 factors in Sport 2, and completely arrange Derrick White’s game-winning three-pointer in Sport 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 No matter the way you sliced it, at 27 years outdated, he’s smack in the course of essentially the most spectacular playoff run of his profession.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 will not be solely true – not on paper, a minimum of. Drafted third general, Brown was not neglected the identical method {that a} second-round prospect like Nikola Jokic may need been. And in contrast to Jamal Murray, who’s by no means been an All Star, Brown has been chosen 3 times. 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 way of the NBA is aware of precisely what he was referring to in that second – the distinct sample of being neglected, underrated, misunderstood.
Whether or not it was the notorious boos that inundated Barclays Heart on the evening he was drafted in 2016, the very reliable studies he’d be traded for Kevin Durant, his stunning omission from the All-NBA group simply final week, Jaylen Brown has endured moments of invalidation extra steadily 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 preferred due to his I-am-better-than-you perspective. He is aware of it. It’s the identical motive 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 stated after Sport 4. “Some stuff I don’t perceive, it ain’t meant for me to know 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 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 power 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% capturing, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a pair 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 capturing, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Identical to in Sport 1, he was answerable for the largest 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 influence was superior final evening.
✅ Sport-tying step-through floater✅ Steal on the following possession✅ Blocked Nembhard’s go-ahead try✅ Assisted on Derrick White’s game-winner pic.twitter.com/nm3tql5OAl
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) Could 28, 2024
“It was a hell of a cross,” Joe Mazzulla stated. “And I had full religion he was going to make that learn. It was an important learn.”
Brown most likely secured the ECF MVP within the second half, when he scored 19 factors on 7-11 photographs. That got here after he began off gradual, making simply 1 of his first 6 subject targets and 1 of his first 4 free throws. The doubtless entrance runner for the award by way of two video games, Brown was trying shaky at first, however turned issues round to will the Celtics to victory within the second half.
“He was getting nice photographs the entire sport, and I assumed he simply stayed with it, stayed poise,” Joe Mazzulla stated. “He’s a man that — you possibly can’t shake him. He has nice – only a quick time period reminiscence. If he misses a shot, [it] by no means impacts the following 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 acquired traded, he was one of many voices of our group,” 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 feel we performed the precise method each single sport, 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 had been in a position to shut it out.
However just a few days after being left off of All-NBA, it was a kind of poetic justice for a man coming off of the perfect yr of his profession. After a 40-point Sport 2, Brown shrugged off not being named All-NBA.
“We two video games from the Finals. Truthfully, I don’t acquired the time to offer a f***.”
Simply 4 days later, Brown took dwelling a much more significant honor that solely two gamers on this planet will earn this yr.
With a smile plastered throughout Jrue Vacation recounted the second that Jaylen Brown discovered 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 successful, and no matter it took, nonetheless lengthy it took. When you may have that mentality and that mindset, you see nice folks getting rewarded for the issues that they do. It simply brings pleasure.”
