BOSTON — Jaylen Brown always knew he could do this.
In July, on the last day of his annual educational camp for Boston youth — the Bridge program — I spoke with the Celtics star.
The team had just lost Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday to trades and Al Horford and Luke Kornet to free agency. Jayson Tatum was on crutches, and for the first time in years, the feeling around basketball in Boston was somber.
In that lengthy conversation, Brown shared how, over the years, he sometimes took a back seat,
something he felt most players of his caliber in the NBA haven’t had to do. But, as he stressed multiple times, he was okay with it: it was all in pursuit of a championship, the thing that was most important to him in the world.
“I’m extremely grateful that we won a championship,” Brown said then. “I’m extremely grateful that we’ve been able to have success, and that’s what it’s about.”
But, when it came down to leading a Celtics roster devoid of superstars for the very first time, Brown had no doubt that he was up for the challenge.
We sat across a round table at the MIT building where the Bridge camp was based. Dozens of high school students filed out as the day’s sessions concluded; some gave Brown a fist bump on their way out, others a wave.
After the room emptied, Brown cleared his throat and unexpectedly broached the topic of the year ahead.
“I feel like I’m very talented,” he said. “I’m one of the talented people in this league, on this planet, I feel like. I’m looking forward to showing the world more.”
What would more look like?
I wasn’t even sure.
The Celtics star already had a Finals MVP under his belt, a Second Team All-NBA selection, and four All-Star appearances. He’d averaged at least 20 points per game for six consecutive seasons, while often taking on the Celtics’ most difficult defensive assignments.
As my mind wandered, I took note of how he had phrased that sentence: “I’m one of the talented people in this league.”
He skipped over the word most, likely an intentional choice, but though he omitted it, it still hung in the air, framing our conversation. Brown didn’t need to say it for me to know exactly what he meant.
It was clear as day that Brown had long felt like he was one of the world’s best basketball players, even coming off a season in which his shooting numbers substantially declined as he played through a partially torn meniscus. So, though outside expectations around the Celtics lowered, Brown was eager to show everyone else what he already knew to be true.
Not everyone believed.
The conversation around the 2025-2026 Celtics season was framed around the organization taking a “gap year” with Jayson Tatum sidelined. The word “tanking” came up for the first time in over a decade. Even the most optimistic fans struggled to envision how the Celtics could again find themselves near the top of the Eastern Conference, let alone be one of the NBA’s best teams.
But, just like he said he would, Brown has pridefully steered the ship. On the season, he is averaging 28.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists — all career-highs. His shooting numbers across the board are up from last year, and his 79.2% clip from the free-throw line is the best mark of his career. He’s locked down some of the league’s top stars, taken over in the clutch, and set a franchise record for most consecutive 30+ point games (9).
Brown has tallied six 40+ point games this season, the latest coming on Monday night in a 120-112 win over the Phoenix Suns.
Once again, he was the best player on the floor, outdueling another one of the NBA’s brightest stars. That’s something he’s done countless times in a season filled with masterclass performances.
As MVP chants echoed across a raucous TD Garden, Brown erupted for 18 fourth-quarter points, finishing the night with 41 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.
“It’s pretty cool, not gonna lie,” Brown said on Monday night. “It’s pretty awesome to be at my this point in my career and be able to get that love from the fans.”
This year, Brown was named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career. He also earned his first Player of the Month selection, collecting the award for his strong play in January. Those accolades aren’t what drive him, but they indicate the outside world sees what he’s long felt: he’s among the best players in all of basketball.
What has driven Jaylen Brown’s career season?
Most players don’t make a leap at age 29, but Jaylen Brown is now a proven exception.
“I’ve always felt like I could be one of the top players in the world, given the opportunity,” Brown said Monday. “And I feel like I got to display that this season.”
One major factor behind this leap is that this season, Brown has overwhelmingly been the Celtics’ primary creator for the first time.
“I’ve been able to be in this in a role where I’ve been able to control things, and everybody’s kind of playing off me,” Brown said. “I’ve been in those roles seldom over the years, but this year, for an extended amount of time, I’ve been able to be in that position.”
To viewers at home, the difference between being the primary creator and the secondary creator might not look as stark as it feels. But, for Brown — a player who sometimes very clearly enters a flow state on the offensive end— it’s night and day.
“People are going to have their critiques and their criticism, but it’s just a completely different flow when people play off you, or when you play off others,” he said. “It’s two completely different things. For people watching the game, you just think, like, ‘just roll the ball out, and everything’s supposed to work great. Players are all supposed to fit together.’ It doesn’t always work like that. Sometimes, you got to take a backseat, or sometimes you got to play more off-ball. So, everything shifts.”
“I’ve been able to play at my own pace. And I’ve been able to control my own destiny.”
Still, as well as things have gone, he feels like he has a lot of room to grow.
“I feel like even now, over the last couple of games, I’ve adjusted my game,” he said. “And I’m still continuing to get better in my playmaking ability, seeing the floor, taking my time, all of that stuff is still continuing to improve.”
Brown’s offensive production may soon take a hit — and that’s okay
With Jayson Tatum back in the lineup, he’ll once again share the floor with his co-star. Brown is candid: accepting that his role will change as a result takes humility, and isn’t always easy.
But he understands that what’s at stake is a championship.
“JT is extremely important to us for what we want to do,” Brown said. “Obviously, I’m having a great season, but then I have to just think: what’s the big picture?”
And, just like he told me back in July, as much as he feels confident in his own abilities, individual accolades aren’t what drive him.
“I always put the team first and what the bigger picture is first,” Brown said.
Only 14 games remain in the Celtics’ season. They currently sit at 45-23, good for the second-best record in the Eastern Conference. Already, they’re the betting odds favorites to come out of the East.
But Brown still feels like his team has another gear it can reach.
“Everybody has to be patient,” he said. “This is not the best version you’re watching right now.”
NBA fans may want to take heed of that warning — because Jaylen Brown has been right before.
