Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown earned a spot on the All-NBA Second Team for the second time in his career. The first one enabled him to sign a supermax extension that at the time represented the most lucrative contract in league history.
At the time, Brown was coming off a career year and a disappointing postseason. Sound familiar?
Facing the Miami Heat in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, the Marietta, Georgia, native had perhaps the worst playoff game and series of his career. After the Celtics rallied from a 3-0 deficit to force a Game 7, with Jayson Tatum compromised by an ankle injury, Brown tried to be Superman. Instead, he looked more like Clark Kent as his attempts to navigate through Miami's defense led to eight turnovers. That is the most he has had in a postseason contest.
It sent him into a summer of trade rumors, most notably involving Kevin Durant. However, that low point sparked an evolution that led to him earning the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP awards a year later.
Boston shook up the core of its roster, but got rewarded in spades for its loyalty to Brown. Three years later, he and the organization find themselves in familiar territory.
Jaylen Brown's All-NBA selection reinforces two truths
In his tenth season, the 29-year-old wing was an iron man, appearing in 71 tilts, the third-most in his career. It's the most he has played while averaging at least 26 minutes of floor time.
Brown registered a career-best 28.7 points and 5.1 assists per game. He led the league in field goals, with 736, while converting on 47.7 percent of the shots he hoisted. His 2,038 points were the third-most in the 2025-26 campaign. He generated the second-most drives in the league, manufacturing 19.1 to Deni Avdija's 19.4, and produced the second-most points off of them, delivering 13.2 to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 14, per NBA.com.Â
He also averaged 6.9 rebounds, matching his most in a season, and he swiped 1.0 steals per contest.
Only Brown and Los Angeles Lakers' star Luka Doncic averaged at least 28 points, six rebounds, and five assists this season.
Along with his second All-NBA Second Team selection, the five-time All-Star started in the Association's marquee exhibition event for the first time in his career. He also played his way into the MVP conversation.
Brown is taking flak for saying this was his favorite season. That statement, coming on the heels of the Celtics blowing a 3-1 series lead for the first time in franchise history, was not a great look. Neither is the fact that Jayson Tatum spent most of this campaign on the sidelines while rehabbing from a torn Achilles tendon, and that the duo is two years removed from helping guide Boston to the NBA's mountaintop.
However, this isn't an individual who's demanding a trade to make this season's opportunity the norm. As he said on his Twitch stream, "I love Boston. And if it was up to me, I could play in Boston for the next 10 years."
He understands this opportunity might not come his way again. That's all the more reason to relish it. Who wouldn't want the chance to be the best version of themselves professionally?
Brown has dreamt of that since long before he was teaming with Tatum. He always believed he could deliver a year like the one he turned in. He didn't shy from sharing that opinion. However, his detractors were quick to tell him what he couldn't do. Now, he has proof of concept and peace of mind.
The star wing was the focal point of a 56-win team that finished second in the East. His play acted as a rising tide, lifting all boats. He led a defiant bunch, whose combination of grit and growth was also at the heart of what made this his favorite season.
Brown's All-NBA Second Team selection is the exclamation point on a campaign in which he validated what he always believed about himself.
Unfortunately, the way the playoffs unfolded isn't going to quiet his doubters. Sunday's announcement about his latest accolade will do nothing to dissuade that faction from pounding the table for the Celtics to trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
It's a strikingly similar situation to the 2023 offseason. Brad Stevens nailed how to navigate that summer, and the franchise got rewarded with Banner 18. The organization is facing a steeper challenge. That includes via its competitors, especially out West, and a punitive collective bargaining agreement that has now taken full effect.
However, the same choice Stevens made then, remaining loyal to Brown, could again be Boston's best path to the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Time will tell whether the Celtics' president of basketball operations believes that, or if Brown's most satisfying season in Boston was also his last one there.
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