The Boston Celtics humbled the Los Angeles Lakers 111-89 on Sunday, and while the Lakers’ offense was a huge culprit, Jaylen Brown was also a thorn in the side of the Purple and Gold.
He shot just 10-of-28 from the field, but he went 9-of-12 from the free throw line and tossed in 32 points. On the season, he’s averaging a career-high 29.2 points a game while shooting 48.1% from the field and leading the NBA in shot attempts per game. He has vaulted the Celtics into second place in the Eastern Conference with a 37-19 record, even though they have been without six-time All-Star forward Jayson Tatum this season due to a torn Achilles.
It seems unlikely that Brown will be named this season’s MVP. But LeBron James vouched for him to be a legitimate candidate following Sunday’s game.
“I think he’s just used the motivation of a lot of people saying that they’re gonna have a down year because of obviously JT (Tatum) being out, them losing Jrue (Holiday), Al (Horford), (Kristaps) Porzingis, their whole championship team pretty much has kind of revamped. He used it as motivation to keep them afloat. They’re playing great basketball and it’s because of him and the rest of those guys. He’s taken that next step.”
It should be pointed out that during the summer of 2024, Brown said that James’ son Bronny would make the Lakers’ roster only because of his name and not for any merit-based reason. But the elder James still insisted that his relationship with the Boston star is “alright.”
“Our relationship has been pretty respectful, besides the [expletive] he said about Bronny at summer league. But other than that, we’ve been alright. We’ll be alright. I think he went on social media and said something about it, it’s all good. Bronny got a long way to go, but that’s another story.
“He’s playing great basketball… This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well. Nobody gave them a shot to start the season, and he’s averaging like what, 30? Just under 30. It’s a popularity contest sometimes… I don’t know the criteria of MVP anymore. I stopped giving a damn about it a long time ago. I got my own personal issues about it.”
The elder James, of course, has won the NBA’s regular-season MVP award four times, and some would argue he should’ve won it a few additional times. Right now, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder is the favorite to win the award after earning it last season, and if he doesn’t win it, the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic could end up with it.
But Brown could end up getting a handful of votes, at least as recognition for the fine job he has done of keeping the Celtics near the top of the league even though their best player has been unavailable.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: LeBron James: Jaylen Brown should be NBA MVP candidate
Reporting by Robert Marvi, LeBron Wire / LeBron Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
