Jaylen Brown heard all the talk in his NBA career leading up to this moment.
That he and Jayson Tatum don’t fit together and can’t lead a team to a title after falling short in the playoffs multiple times.
That he was overpaid after signing a five-year extension worth up to $304 million last summer.
That he can’t handle a ball with his left hand.
All of those criticisms of his game can finally be put to rest now.
“All of those moments where we came up short--we felt like we let the city down, we felt like we let ourselves down--all of that compiled is how we get to this moment,” Brown spoke after another solid game to help the Boston Celtics clinched the 2024 NBA title thanks to a Game 5 romp of the Dallas Mavericks, 106-88.
BIG SMILES FROM THE FINALS MVP 🏆 https://t.co/6yOcThL4xM pic.twitter.com/qW3VAxQXTO
— NBA (@NBA) June 18, 2024
[ALSO READ: Jayson Tatum steers Celtics to record-setting 18th NBA title with Game 5 romp of Mavericks]
Brown was instrumental once more, getting it done on both ends after collecting 21 points, eight rebounds, six dimes, and two steals. He was later named as the Finals MVP for the first time in his career.
The #NBAFinals MVP put on the finishing touches in Game 5!
— NBA (@NBA) June 18, 2024
21 PTS
8 REB
6 AST
2 STL
1 Larry O'Brien Trophy
1 Bill Russell Trophy @FCHWPO, NBA Champion 🏆 pic.twitter.com/iH4Be4WfOh
For the series, he averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and five assists. Brown added the trophy to his collection alongside his Eastern Conference finals MVP hardware and forever silenced the critics of his supermax contract and his left hand.
"I can't even put it into words; Bill Russell and what he's meant to me throughout my Boston journey... It's unreal, " Brown said on winning the Finals MVP named after Celtics legend Bill Russell.
The Finals MVP credited his long-time teammate Jayson Tatum for his sacrifices in the playoff run, adding the award can be given to anybody including Tatum, his teammate for seven years now.
“It could go to anybody, it could go to Jayson [Tatum]. I can’t talk enough about his [Tatum] selflessness, his attitude on how he approached this playoffs in general.”
For the Celtics dynamic duo, the 107 games they played together are the most by a duo prior to winning their first championship in NBA history.
“We’ve been through a lot. We’ve been playing together for seven years now. We just blocked it out and we just kept going. I trusted him, he trusted me and we did it together. Sharing this experience with JT is just awesome.”
THE JAYS ARE NBA CHAMPS 🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/obQ9LTGRE8
— NBA (@NBA) June 18, 2024
Brown added that heartbreaks of the past paved the way for this Celtics team to pursue greatness, as evident to their year-long dominance in the regular season all the way to a dominating championship run that saw them finish with a combined 80-17 record.
“I think we learned from all our mistakes, from all of our adversities. It made us stronger, tougher and all season you can see it.”
“We started from the jump, made the sacrifices, we played both ends of the ball at a high level. We didn’t skip any steps and this was the result.”
Pretty much too early to tell but the 27-year-old believes this Celtics team is capable of winning it all again next season.
“I think we have an opportunity. I think we definitely have a window. We take it one day at a time. We enjoy the moment and we get back right to it next year.”
