Jaylen Brown Reacts to Not Making an All-NBA Team: 'Embrace It'

Bobby Krivitsky | May 24, 2024

May 23, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; IBoston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) shoots the ball against Indiana Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith. / Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports

Jaylen Brown followed up earning a spot on the 2022 All-NBA Second Team with the best season of his career.

The three-time All-Star's evolution has featured significant strides as a facilitator, including operating with more poise, reading the defense to stay a step ahead, and making opponents pay for sending a second defender at him with his passing. 

He's thrived against top perimeter assignments like Stephen Curry at the other end of the floor.

As for counting stats, Brown averaged 23 points, 5.5 rebounds, a career-high 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals, matching his personal best.

However, despite his role as a leader on the team that finished atop the regular season standings with a 64-18 record, the Marietta, Georgia native did not get selected to an All-NBA team this year.

"We all felt like internally that he should've made one of the All-NBA teams," said Jayson Tatum after registering 23 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the Celtics' 126-110 win over the Pacers on Thursday.

"We're two games from the Finals, so honestly, I don't have the time to give a (expletive)," voiced Brown after a 40-point performance to help his team take a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Later opening up about whether he feels slighted and how he channels not making an All-NBA team, he conveyed, "I watch guys get praised and anointed who I feel like are half as talented as me on either side of the ball. But at this point in my life, I just embrace it. It comes with being who I am and what I stand for, and I ain't really changing that."

As for how his head coach saw Brown channel that emotion while leading Boston to its first Game 2 win this postseason:

"He's just like, one of my favorite people," expressed Joe Mazzulla at the podium post-game. "I think, how's he handling that? I think he cares about it in a way that motivates him, and I think he doesn't really care about it at all because he understands that winning is the most important thing. 

"And so, he has an innate ability to just get there, work hard, motivation. He has unreal confidence, but he's also not afraid to work on the things that he knows he has to get better at. And so you see him every day at shootaround or practice, he's out there with six, seven coaches working on every possession, every spacing imaginable so that he sees his reads. 

"He just cares about the right stuff. But you know, I honestly, I think stuff like that does motivate him, but I know he also really wants to win. He has a growth mindset. Wants to get better. So, I've really enjoyed coaching him and really watching him work."

Further Reading

Celtics Grab Elusive Game 2 Win vs. Pacers, Now Halfway to NBA Finals

Joe Mazzulla Addresses if Celtics Will Use Jayson Tatum at Center vs. Pacers

Jrue Holiday Starts Eastern Conference Finals with Best Game as a Celtic

Jaylen Brown's Heroics Propel Celtics to 1-0 Lead in Conference Finals

Aaron Nesmith Left Lasting Impression with Celtics Before Finding a Home with Pacers

Past Hardships Brought Out Best in Al Horford in Career Night: 'You Saw His Gift'

Jayson Tatum Breaks Out of Scoring Slump That Never Defined Him: 'Underappreciated'

Kristaps Porzingis Discusses Target Date to Rejoin Celtics' Playoff Run: 'Doing Everything I Can'