Jaylen Brown shrugs off snubs and leads Celtics to the NBA Finals
Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown was overlooked by voters, composed of writers and broadcasters, for this season’s three All-NBA teams, 15 players in total, and the league’s first and second All-Defensive teams, made up of 10 players.
“We’re two games from the Finals,” said Brown of his omission following a 40-point outing in the Celtics’ 126-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers last Thursday in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference Finals matchup. “Honestly, I don’t have time to give a f—k.”
But after a stellar showing in the best-of-seven series, in which Brown proved to be one of the game’s best two-way practitioners in averaging 29.8 points as the Celtics produced a 4-0 sweep over the Pacers, he walked away with a more meaningful—at least in the moment—honor.
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Subsequent to scoring 29 points, grabbing six rebounds, and affirming his defensive bona fides with a critical block with 65 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to help cement the Celtics’ 105-102 Game 4 win, Brown was presented with the Larry Bird Trophy as the Eastern Conference Finals MVP by team radio announcer Cedric Maxwell, the 1981 NBA Finals MVP with the Celtics. It was fitting and ironic that the award is named after one of the greatest players in the history of both the franchise and the sport.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all. I never win sh—t,” Brown caustically expressed. His teammate, Jrue Holiday, amplified Brown’s sentiments.
“It felt great…It’s even better because he didn’t expect it. That really means, it didn’t matter to him. It’s about winning, whatever it took, however long it took, that’s what was important to him. I think when you have that mentality and mindset you see great people get rewarded for the things that they do.
“It just brings joy so I’m super excited for him. He’s been first team all NBA for the entire season and I wish he would have got that but to see him get this award is big time.”
The NBA Finals begin next Thursday in Boston.
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