Giannis Antetokounmpo Makes Bold Claim About Jaylen Brown

Giannis had some high praise for Brown following his accomplishments during the Celtics' title run.

Nov 22, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) and Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown (7) fight for the ball during the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images / Paul Rutherford-Imagn Images

There's no denying how vital Jaylen Brown was to the Celtics' 18th title. Not only did his efforts help the Celtics win the championship, but he received multiple individual accolades along the way, like the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP.

Because Brown received such recognition during the Celtics' run to the championship, Giannis Antetokounmpo declared that Brown is the NBA's best player in an interview with Complex Sports.

“I feel like the best player is the guy that wins the championship, wins it all, and is the best player for his team. So, the best player in the NBA, I would probably say Jaylen Brown because you cannot say you're the best player if you're on a team who didn't win. It doesn't matter if you got the MVP or if you're all-NBA. If you don't make your team win, you're not the best.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo says Jaylen Brown is the best player in the NBA:

“I feel like the best player is the guy that wins the championship, wins it all, and is the best player on the team. So, the best player in the NBA, I would probably say Jaylen Brown.”

(via @ComplexSports) pic.twitter.com/HcqS28sm3Y

— Boston Sports Gordo (@BOSSportsGordo) October 23, 2024

Antetokounmpo won the NBA Finals MVP when he helped the Bucks win the title in 2021, so it makes sense why he would feel this way. Brown joined a class headed by Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, and Kawhi Leonard over the past several seasons, all of whom will be first-ballot Hall of Famers.

Now this could be interpreted as a shot at Jayson Tatum knowing that he has more accolades than Brown, which is why he's widely considered the Celtics' best player. However, whether it is or isn't, Giannis is giving Brown well-deserved props for helping the Celtics win the championship.

Adding to that, Tatum and Brown have never let their own egos get in the way of their success together, so any claims about who is better than whom between the two of them, directly or indirectly, has never been shown to affect them. Those are the kind of stars a contender should want.