Jaylen Brown’s recognition as the Eastern Conference Finals MVP was a long time coming 

INDIANAPOLIS — As his identify reverberated by way of the sector, Jaylen Brown stood at heart courtroom in shock, processing the very fact he was simply named the Jap Convention Finals Most Useful Participant.

On paper, it wasn’t a surprising choice – Brown averaged 29.8 factors per recreation, hit a game-tying three-pointer to provide the Celtics life in Sport 1, exploded for 40 factors in Sport 2, and completely arrange Derrick White’s game-winning three-pointer in Sport 4. No matter the way you sliced it, at 27 years previous, he’s smack in the course of probably the most spectacular playoff run of his profession.

However, he didn’t see the glory coming from a mile away.

“I wasn’t anticipating that in any respect,” Jaylen Brown mentioned. “I don’t ever win s***.”

The assertion just isn’t fully true – not on paper, at the very least. Drafted third general, Brown was not missed the identical method {that a} second-round prospect like Nikola Jokic may need been. And in contrast to Jamal Murray, who’s by no means been an All Star, Brown has been chosen 3 times. The cash has additionally adopted his success; subsequent season, he’ll be one of many highest-paid gamers within the league.

Nonetheless, anybody who has carefully adopted Brown’s journey by way of the NBA is aware of precisely what he was referring to in that second – the distinct sample of being missed, underrated, misunderstood.

Whether or not it was the notorious boos that inundated Barclays Heart on the night time he was drafted in 2016, the very reliable reviews he’d be traded for Kevin Durant, his shocking omission from the All-NBA staff simply final week, Jaylen Brown has endured moments of invalidation extra incessantly than the common NBA celebrity, oftentimes dwelling within the shadow of Jayson Tatum, his co-star.

Simply final week, ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith commented on Brown’s lack of marketability:

​​“I wished to learn to y’all what an NBA supply simply despatched me,” Smith mentioned on First Take. “He mentioned, ‘Jaylen Brown, it’s not a lot that he’s underrated, it’s that he’s simply not preferred due to his I-am-better-than-you angle. He is aware of it. It’s the identical motive he’s not as marketable as he ought to be.’ That’s what an NBA supply simply despatched me.”

Jaylen Brown fired again on X, tweeting: “State your supply.”

“At this level, I’m at that part in my life the place I simply embrace all types of negativity or regardless of the case is,” Brown mentioned after Sport 4. “Some stuff I don’t perceive, it ain’t meant for me to grasp it. However I simply know who I’m and what I stand for generally makes folks really feel uncomfortable, and generally I miss out on issues, I miss out on alternatives, awards, advertising offers, or regardless of the case could also be.”

“At this level, I simply embrace it. I’m who I’m, and I’m gonna stand on my beliefs. And I’m a type of individuals who would die for what they consider in. So, I simply embrace it at this level, and I’m grateful that I’m capable of be on this place, and the vitality is about to shift.”

The collection of a lifetime may solely finish a method

In 4 video games towards the Pacers, Brown averaged 29.8 factors on 51.9% taking pictures, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and a pair of steals. It was his highest-ever scoring common in a playoff collection.

Within the deciding recreation, he put up 29 factors on 11-22 taking pictures, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. Similar to in Sport 1, he was accountable for the largest clutch-time sequence of the night time, swatting an Andrew Nembhard layup on one finish and establishing the game-winning shot on the different.

“It was a hell of a go,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “And I had full religion he was going to make that learn. It was a fantastic learn.”

Brown most likely secured the ECF MVP within the second half, when he scored 19 factors on 7-11 photographs. That got here after he began off gradual, making simply 1 of his first 6 discipline objectives and 1 of his first 4 free throws. The possible entrance runner for the award by way of two video games, Brown was wanting shaky at first, however turned issues round to will the Celtics to victory within the second half.

“He was getting nice photographs the entire recreation, and I assumed he simply stayed with it, stayed poise,” Joe Mazzulla mentioned. “He’s a man that — you possibly can’t shake him. He has nice – only a brief time period reminiscence. If he misses a shot, [it] by no means impacts the subsequent one.”

Maybe most meaningfully, Brown stepped into a possible management void and solidified himself as an unwavering voice all 12 months lengthy.

“Marcus Sensible, one among my brothers that obtained traded, he was one of many voices of our staff,” Brown mentioned. “And when he wasn’t right here, I wished to verify I stepped in, ensure that all people felt me and all people knew what the usual was. And we didn’t skip no steps all season. I feel we performed the suitable method each single recreation, I’ve held all people accountable, and that is the byproduct.”

Profitable the Jap Convention Finals MVP was by no means the purpose — Brown made positive to right away level out that after the sport that he was simply glad the Celtics have been capable of shut it out.

However a couple of days after being left off of All-NBA, it was a form of poetic justice for a man coming off of the very best 12 months of his profession. After a 40-point Sport 2, Brown shrugged off not being named All-NBA.

“We two video games from the Finals. Actually, I don’t obtained the time to provide a f***.”

Simply 4 days later, Brown took house a much more significant honor that solely two gamers on the earth will earn this 12 months.

With a smile plastered throughout Jrue Vacation recounted the second that Jaylen Brown discovered he was named Jap Convention Finals MVP.

“It’s even higher as a result of he didn’t anticipate it,” Vacation mentioned. “That didn’t matter to him. It was about successful, and no matter it took, nevertheless lengthy it took. When you’ve that mentality and that mindset, you see nice folks getting rewarded for the issues that they do. It simply brings pleasure.”