Thank You, Jaylen

I won't lie to you, I am extremely sad.

I won't lie to you, I am extremely confused.

I won't lie to you, I am extremely angry.

I need new words to define how I feel after the Celtics unceremoniously traded Jaylen Brown. Under-est-whelming? Doesn't really roll off the tongue, I guess. But I can't imagine being more underwhelmed, so it fits. And there will be days, weeks, months, and years for those emotions. But right now, what I want to do first is remember as many moments as possible when Jaylen Brown brought me joy. There are a lot of these moments.

In making this list, one thing stood out to me. It was hard to make the list not because there were not specific moments, but rather because JB has just been such a constant presence. He has been a steadying influence. He often operated in the background. He rankled against this. He insisted that his quiet 25 points could have been a loud 35 points, but that he was sacrificing for the team. But those quiet 25 were still just so pivotal, and we all knew it and loved him for it.

There have also been all kinds of accumulated moments. Him learning to get his little fadeaways in the paint. Him learning to drive better with his left hand. Most importantly, his work in the community through his The 7uice Foundation and other ventures. His creativity to create his own sneaker and apparel company (I have the white pair). His confidence to to create his own music. Jaylen Brown really interacted with the community. To use a phrase I'm decidedly not cool enough to use, Jaylen was outside. In this way, he was the antithesis of just about all modern professional athletes. And most of us intrinsically loved him for it.

Of course, there have been plenty of distinct moments, too. Let's remember some. These are going to be all over the place because I'm all over the place.

Taking Pascal Siakam's Soul in the 2020 Bubble

Pascal Siakam has played meaningful minutes in 16 playoff series. In those 16 playoff series, he has shot .491 from the field, and at least .417 in 15 of them. The 16th? That was against Boston in the East semis in the 2020 Bubble. In that series, he shot just .382. Jaylen Brown stole his soul in the series. It seemed bad in the moment, and it hasn't gotten any prettier in the years since. The Raptors haven't won a playoff series since. That may change next season, but it's been a long six seasons for them. JB and his defense were a big, big part of that.

His All-Star Game Duel with Jayson Tatum

Heading into All-Star 2023, Jaylen and Jayson Tatum were kind of on top of the world. The team went into the break with a 42-17 record, tops in the NBA, and both Jay's were in the All-Star Game. It was JB's second nod, and fans were hopeful of a show. And boy, did they get one:

The End of Game 1 vs. Indiana in the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals

Possibly his finest moment in a Celtics uniform. This game was over. And then it wasn't. Jaylen forced an incredibly unlikely turnover to give the C's one last chance. And then he hit the even more unlikely dagger:

JT took care of business in overtime, putting Indiana away with 10 overtime points, but they don't get there without JB forcing that turnover and hitting that three. An all-time great shot for a franchise that has seen plenty.

The Game 1 Dunk Over Two Mavericks

There was very rarely doubt about the outcome of the 2024 NBA Finals. The Celtics walloped the Mavericks. Few plays, if any, put the disparity between the two teams on display as much as JB's famous dunk in Game 1. It was named the Dunk of the Night, which, duh:

He loses Derrick Jones Jr. (Dallas' one plus defender) off a pick, then beats Luka Dončić off the dribble, and finishes the play by dunking on both Kyrie Irving and Daniel Gafford. Only PJ Washington got to spectate as JB beat the other four Mavs. The dunk gave the C's an 18-point lead, and that would be the eventual margin of victory.

Putting 50 on Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers

When the C's landed in LA after New Year's 2026, the Clippers were getting a lot of shine. They had won six straight games, and were starting to put their awful start to the season behind them. And with both Kawhi Leonard and Jaylen Brown having just been named the NBA's Players of the Week, it seemed like we were in for a marquee matchup on January 3rd. JB had other ideas, and dropped 50 on LA on 18-of-26 shooting in a game that quickly turned into a blowout. It tied his career high, and made an emphatic statement about how seriously he was taking the season.

"The Energy Is About to Shift"

This is perhaps the most famous athlete statement of the 21st century. Certainly, it's one of the most famous Boston athlete statements of the 21st century. When he wrote this, the C's were floundering. They were 26-25, and while they had won three of four, they were just 9-6 for the month of January, and were just ninth in the East after their prior game, a 107-97 win over the hapless Pelicans.

You know what happened next. They would thump Miami that night by 30 points, and including that game, would win their next eight games, on their way to a 25-6 record the rest of the way, often with thunderous 20+ point wins. They would eventually make it to their first NBA Finals in 12 years. JB saw it all coming.

Calling Giannis "A Child"

Giannis Antetokounmpo is a child, and JB called him out for it. And that was beautiful.

Game 5 in 2025 after JT Got Hurt

From my dispatch after that game:

The second big thing that happened was that Josh Hart pissed off Jaylen Brown. Why anyone at any time would ever decide that pissing off Jaylen Brown is a good idea is beyond me, but then again, Jalen Brunson apparently often describes Josh Hart as "a two-year-old,"* so maybe he doesn't know any better (* according to Kevin Harlan, this was something he said during the broadcast). Jaylen made it his mission to run through the Knicks the rest of the quarter, piling up fouls on the Knicks and getting to the line eight times. That penetration was much needed, as the C's only got to the line eight times total in the first half.

For the game, JB had 26 points, 12 assists (against just two turnovers), and eight rebounds. It was the closest JB ever came to a playoff triple-double in a Celtics uniform, and while the Knicks would take care of business in the next game, it was awesome to see his pride on display this night.

His 34 Points in Game 6 vs. Golden State in the 2022 NBA Finals

Another moment where his pride seemed futile but we loved to see it nonetheless was in Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals. Jayson Tatum had worn down, and the C's as a collective seemed defeated. The bench contributed just five points on this night. Golden State pulled ahead with just under a minute left in the first quarter, and didn't trail again. But when the game was threatening to truly get out of hand in the third quarter, JB hit three consecutive shots to knock a 17-point Warriors lead down to 12, and keep the game within shouting distance. For the game, JB had 34 points. He wasn't perfect – he had just three assists and five turnovers – but on this night, he was the best the Celtics had, and he helped make sure the loss wasn't too embarrassing.

The Tap Out vs. Miami

The end of Game 7 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat was agonizing. The C's built a 13-point lead and then watched it all nearly evaporate. I watched the final four minutes again tonight, and what struck me was how little JB was involved. Miami did a great job of making Marcus Smart take a lot of shots. JB was mostly in the corners, waiting for opportunities that never came. But he kept playing the right way, and when Jimmy Butler had the opportunity to tie or give Miami the lead, the lone Celtic who made sure to box out was JB:

He calmly taps the ball out to Al Horford, who gets it to Marcus, who gets fouled, and finally seals the game at the line. You barely notice it, but again, that's a lot of what JB did. And we're sure going to notice when he's not around to make those plays this coming season.

To be sure, there are so many more moments, like when he did the dunk contest. Was he awesome? No, but he did the damn thing, and it was cool to see him be vulnerable and try. Ultimately, JB is a much cooler in-game dunker because of that fearlessness, which has helped him earn the nickname "Gravedigger."

Let's go out by watching some of those dunks. Here's a 10-minute reel of JB highlights. It's mostly dunks, because NBA highlight reels are not super nuanced. Nonetheless, revel in his many hairdos. Revel in the last 10 years. Revel in remembering one of the greatest players to ever put on the Celtics uniform, and a player who helped the fans of this city believe in the Celtics once again.

Thank you, Jaylen.