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Boston Celtics legend floats worrying Jaylen Brown scenario

By Andrew Hughes

Paul Pierce threw out a worrying scenario for Boston Celtics fans to think about regarding what Jaylen Brown could want in his future Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports
Paul Pierce threw out a worrying scenario for Boston Celtics fans to think about regarding what Jaylen Brown could want in his future Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /
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Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce only started winning championships when other stars (Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen) joined him in Beantown. Pierce isn’t sure if Jaylen Brown has the same mindset, instead floating out a worrying proposal for Celtics fans during an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio on March 24 — being that perhaps Brown is more motivated in finding a team he can be the sole star of so he can boost his own profile much in the way James Harden did in leaving the Thunder and Tracy McGrady did in leaving the Raptors in 2012 and 2000, respectively.

“Maybe Jaylen wants the opportunity to be ‘the guy’,” Pierce said. “We’ve seen this for years as guys have left teams. Just think James Harden. James Harden wouldn’t be James Harden if he didn’t leave (Oklahoma City). Tracy McGrady wouldn’t have turned into T-Mac if he didn’t leave Toronto. You never know. Maybe that’s on Jaylen’s mind or maybe he’ll stay. There’s a lot of factors that go into a mindset of a player of his caliber because we know he’s a premier player in this league. Maybe he wants the opportunity to see if he can be ‘the guy’ or who knows.”

Pierce believes Brown is capable of being the same ball-dominant top option Jayson Tatum currently is for the Boston Celtics. “He doesn’t get the same touches of the ball every time down like Jayson Tatum,” Pierce prefaced before saying, “He’s, I think in my opinion, just as equally equipped to handle the same type of responsibility if given the opportunity.”

Jaylen Brown’s ‘bigger than basketball mindset’ could eventually lead him off the Boston Celtics

Once Brown spoke at length to The Ringer’s Logan Murdock about the issues he’s faced in Boston — this after Brown called a portion of the Celtics’ fanbase toxic to the NYT — an alarm should’ve been sounded off for Cs fans.

That kind of talk comes from someone who is unhappy, and it’s clear that in many ways, being in Boston is cramping his style. As Brown has indicated, he wants to be a leader on and off the court, and with the city of Boston’s reputation being condemned by countless NBA stars including LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Draymond Green, to name a few, he may find that his influence could be strongest somewhere else — where isn’t seen as the second best player on the team.

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