It has been ten weeks since Jaylen Brown received arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. This week, we received an update on Jaylen’s recovery in the form of his participation in the Yao Ming Foundation charity game.
The last play in the clip above is the most notable. Sure, Jaylen blows by a guy that would make a run at Luka Doncic’s historic
blow by rate that he gave up in the 2024 NBA Finals, but he still threw down a serious right hand dunk. It’s great to see after seeing Jaylen lack his signature explosiveness in the back end of the 2025 season.
The dunk also speaks to Jaylen’s quick healing abilities. As someone who had their own arthroscopic surgery three months ago, I am yet to throw down a right hand tomahawk. Hopefully, I’m just a few weeks behind JB.
On a slightly more serious note: the success of the future Celtics is heavily reliant on Jaylen Brown’s ability to fully recover from this meniscus tear. We know that with a healthy Jayson Tatum and a healthy Jaylen Brown on the same roster, the Celtics are a borderline lock to make the Eastern Conference Finals. Brad Stevens has been clear about wanting to keep Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum together. However, if Brad deems it untenable to craft a championship roster around two super max contracts in the second apron era, Jaylen is the best candidate to be on the move. If that scenario were to play out, Jaylen Brown rebuilding his health track record would be a significant factor in the returning trade package.
