Let’s hop in the time machine. It’s May 16, 2025. Your Boston Celtics just took a Game 6 beating and officially had their title dreams crushed by the New York Knicks. The season, and this upcoming one had already felt over for days at that point. Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles and Boston’s looming financial decisions became real, fans could feel a storm brewing.
Jaylen Brown promised them that there was no reason to worry.
"This journey's not the end. It's not the end for me," Brown said. "You just take this with a chin up... I know Boston, it looks gloomy right now with JT being out...but there's a lot to look forward to, and I want the city to feel excited about that. This is not the end."
He spent the next 11 months delivering on that promise. It wasn’t the end for the Celtics. They won 56 games, finished second in the East again, and seem primed for another deep playoff run.
I love this team ☘️
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) April 13, 2026
Brown’s been at the forefront. Whether it’s been through his play, initiative, or relatability, he’s become the leading voice in Boston’s locker room.
“Jaylen’s been very open-minded to just leading in different ways, on and off the court, whether it’s through his play, whether it’s through his development in different areas, taking on the things that he wants to get better at,” Joe Mazzulla praised. “Then, there’s communication, not only with us as a staff, but with the players and so I think it’s just the evolution of him constantly getting better on and off the floor and being a part of that.”
Jaylen Brown, the team-chemistry guy
Back at September’s media day at the Auerbach Center, one thing became abundantly clear -- Bill Nye wasn't the only one practicing chemistry.
Brown was committed to helping Boston’s different-looking crew bond and develop team chemistry early.
He spearheaded team outings to the Sept. 28 New England Patriots game and an NBAYoungBoy concert at TD Garden.
“A lot of guys who went were new faces, and it's a good chance for them to get to know Jaylen, him to get to know them, and create those bonds early, and then hopefully it just skyrockets from there,” Sam Hauser shared at media day.
Some of those new faces, like Celtics rookie Hugo Gonzalez, who turned heads in his debut when he hounded Knicks guard Jalen Brunson all night, have contributed to winning for the Cs.
“Yeah, of course. I mean, [there were] a lot of differences, a lot of new players in the organization, and he just wanted us to be a team from the first day and JB, was big time,” Gonzalez told Hardwood Houdini. “He planned things in the summer, to make it happen so it just helps us be more in solidarity.”
Those bonds set the foundation for what’s been an exciting season of hoops in Boston.
Jaylen's been there
This team, mostly made up of newcomers and returning players in expanded roles, has been able to turn to Brown whenever they’re in need of advice, according to Gonzalez.
“He's a guy that has been [in the league] 10 plus years,” the rookie explained. “He's an NBA champion, and he's got a lot of experience and has been in a lot of different roles. He's also the person that he's easy to talk with, and that is always available to help anybody, and he's a leader on off the court. So yeah, it's easy to talk to him.”
The 28-year-old’s experience doing just about everything from coming off the bench and having to make the most of limited opportunities as a rookie, to slipping back into a lower usage role after a strong 2018 playoff run, to winning NBA Finals MVP in 2024 enables him to relate to everyone within the Celtics’ locker room.
“I can relate. I've been in certain spots. I can speak from my experience, and I feel like that's helped some of our guys on our team, just to be able to navigate the NBA journey,” Brown explained. “You know, it's not easy. It's difficult to be consistent every single night, but I think our guys have met that challenge, and I've seen our growth, and now we just got to maximize our potential. I think that's just the most important thing, just trying to get the most out of this group.”
Take Jordan Walsh for example. The third-year forward hardly sniffed the floor in his first two seasons with the Cs. It was looking like he was in store for the same fate through the first few weeks of the 2025-26 campaign, too.
Walsh racked up four DNP-CDs in Boston’s first eight games of the season, and only appeared in garbage time during that stretch.
When he wasn’t sitting on the bench, Walsh was sitting next to Brown on the team plane. It was there that the five-time All-Star instilled confidence into his 21-year-old teammate.
“Earlier in the season, we were talking about how we felt like we needed a guy who can go in and guard the best player every night,” Walsh said. “He kept saying to me, he said, 'I think it's you. I think it could be you.' I was like, 'All right. I'm with you. I think so, too.'”
Once they were on the same page about Walsh’s potential and Brown knew he’d be ready when his number was called, he made sure that it would be.
“He's like, ' I'm gonna have a conversation with Joe, and we can go from there.' I was like, 'Alright, cool,’” Walsh said. “So, I guess he talked to him.”
The 2023 second-round pick saw his playing time climb throughout November into December, and he took advantage. Walsh averaged 7.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, and a combined 1.7 steals and blocks per game while shooting 58.2% from the field and 45.1% from three.
His peak was a three-game stretch to start December where he shot a combined 18 of 19 from the field en route to a trio of Celtics wins.
Walsh also showcased a real ability to keep up with the opposing team’s best players defensively -- a skill that could prove useful for the Cs in this spring’s playoff run.
“I know Jordan had the potential, so I really communicated with him and spoke life into him so he could be ready for this opportunity,” the veteran said. “And he has been.”
Leading by example
Brown’s leadership isn’t just vocal, either. He’s epitomized everything it means to be a Celtic on the court all season long.
Veteran center Nikola Vucevic quickly noticed how drastically his new teammates responded to Brown, after arriving in Boston at the February trade deadline.
“He doesn't always say a lot, but when he says something, you know, there's a good intent behind it, and it helps the team,” Vucevic explained. “I think, just the way he approaches the game, the way he approaches, you know, when we work, when we do stuff, you can tell he's very committed. Guys respond to him.”
Vucevic added that JB wasted no time helping him get acclimated in his new environment.
“The first couple days when I was here, he tried to help me out with stuff on the court with him and I just talked about things he likes, things I like, how to make it work. He also helped me with a lot of stuff off the court, which it was great.”
Brown’s sustained All-NBA level play has given the Celtics a chance in just about every single game they’ve played. Without the foundation set with his consistency, their season could’ve looked a lot different.
In 71 appearances, JB averaged career-highs in points, rebounds (tied with 2023), and assists. He led the league in field-goals made, was third in total points, and was one of two to average at least 28 points, six rebounds, and five assists per game.
As simple as it may sound, his ability to consistently be on the court was huge, too. He missed just 11 games, several of which were scheduled rest days.
“You see a lot of guys getting injured going around the league and sitting out games,” Brown pointed out in November. “I want to play as many games as I possibly can. I had some injuries last year that kind of derailed me towards the end of the season. So, health was a big emphasis going into the year.”
Mazzulla has spoken a lot in press conferences about “giving the game what it needs” over these past few months. Brown did that all season. He led by example.
Remember when the Celtics struggled to grab defensive rebounds early in the season?
Brown put a heavy emphasis on hitting the glass to try and aid that issue. He averaged just under eight boards per game from January to March.
He felt like the team needed to get better on defense after the All-Star break, so he locked in.
JB pulled his younger teammates, Gonzalez, Walsh, and Baylor Scheierman, aside on the West Coast and passed that message along, as well as some tips for slowing down Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic, ahead of their Feb. 22 meeting with L.A.
Doncic spent the majority of the afternoon red in the face as Boston dominated on the road. He was a game-worst -21 in the box score, too.
“Obviously Jaylen is, you know, one of the best two, two way players in the game,” Scheierman praised. “He's guarded Luka before, and so, giving us advice there definitely helps going into the game Sunday.”
Brown maintained the NBA’s best defensive-field-goal percentage through the first seven games back. Not only did Jaylen talk the talk, he walked the walk, too.
This season’s been full of different anecdotes that explain how the Celtics outperformed the expectations of so many. Brown’s leadership can be found woven throughout the majority of them in a multitude of ways.
Because of that, there is no gloom or “end” of this Celtics’ core -- just plenty to look forward to in what’s to come in these next several weeks.
Promises made. Promises delivered.
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