Jaylen Brown has matured into a superstar — and earning Eastern Conference finals MVP is his reward - The Boston Globe (2024)

Brown scored 29 points in Boston’s 105-102 comeback win at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The Celtics struggled offensively most of the night, looking as if they would blow the opportunity to close out this series, but when it counted they again chased the Pacers from behind, passed them and held on with a pair of remarkable plays from Brown.

Firstly, with the game tied at 102 with just over a minute left, Andrew Nembhard drove around a screen from Pascal Siakam and headed straight to the hoop. Brown was the last line of defense, literally, and he clipped Nembhard’s layup attempt as Al Horford gobbled up the rebound.

On the next possession, Brown dived into the paint, drew three defenders and then lobbed a pass to Derrick White in the corner. He responded with his first 3-pointer since early in the first quarter. That triple would be the difference.

Brown scored 19 points in the second half and added 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and that critical blocked shot. He won the MVP because he saved the Celtics with his late 3-pointer to send Game 1 into overtime followed by a 40-point effort in Game 2. Brown averaged 29.7 points on nearly 52 percent shooting in the series.

“I wasn’t expecting it at all,” Brown said of the MVP award. “I never win [expletive].”

He has learned to accept the lack of regard and respect. He was left off the All-NBA team despite being the second-best player on the best team in the NBA. And last week, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith said he heard from an NBA source the reason Brown doesn’t get the accolades and marketing opportunities of his contemporaries is his “I’m better than you” attitude.

Brown responded on X by asking Smith for his source, which he refused to divulge. Former Detroit Pistons superstar and Brown mentor Isiah Thomas then called out Smith on X. The comments obviously impacted Brown, who said the first thing he planned to do after signing his $304-million contract extension is to help close the economic disparity gap between Black and white communities in Boston.

“Finding guys that are just so passionate about getting better as players and people and Jaylen is one of those,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said. “From the first day I’ve been here, he’s become more open minded toward growing as a basketball player. You see what he’s done in the community, and I just really, really value the time I get to know him on and off the court.”

Brown is a serious dude who prides himself on his intelligence and desire to master different cultures and philosophies. His demeanor may come off as intimidating and Brown’s thoughts and beliefs are often complex. But that doesn’t mean he ignores public slights, and yet he’s learned to accept his place in this ever-changing NBA landscape.

“I just embrace it,” he said. “At this point I’m at that phase in my life where I just embrace all forms of negativity, whatever the case it. Some stuff I don’t understand. It ain’t meant for me to understand it. I just know who I am and what I stand for. Sometimes it makes people feel uncomfortable and sometimes I miss out on things, I miss out on opportunities, awards, marketing deals.

“At this point I just embrace it. I am who I am and I am going to stand on my beliefs and I’m one of those people who will die for what they believe in, so I just embrace it at this point. I’m grateful that I’m able to be in this position and the energy is about to shift.”

That last phase has become his personal catchphrase. When the Celtics are rolling, when they are putting together wins and approaching greatness, he says the “energy is about to shift.”

The Celtics are in the NBA Finals for the second time in the past three years, going 12-2 in a postseason where their performances have been maligned. Teammate Jayson Tatum, who was one vote from winning ECF MVP, added 26 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists but has been criticized for his lack of takeover games.

This may be the most critiqued NBA Finals team in recent history and Brown has become one of the central figures of that negativity. In the past week, he was told he wasn’t one of the league’s top 15 players and that he is shunned from marketing deals because of his personality.

But Brown is a man very confident in his convictions and his game, and the senior member of the Celtics finally received flowers for his basketball prowess. It’s about time.

“I think I’m one of the best two-way wings, guards, whatever you want to say, in this game,” he said. “I thought this year I have taken a level and I’ve increased it, I took the (tough) matchup, I picked up guys full court. I chased guys off screens, I battled with bigs and I felt like I should have been All-Defensive (team). But as time has gone by and I’ve gotten to this point, I stopped caring and I just embrace.

“I don’t care who sees what, as long as my team knows my value, my city knows my value, my family, that’s all I really care about.”

Gary Washburn is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at gary.washburn@globe.com. Follow him @GwashburnGlobe.