Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown, center, holds up the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy as he celebrates with the team after they won the NBA basketball championship with a Game 5 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, Monday, June 17, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa) Credit: AP
The moment that every basketball player dreams of, from a young kid shooting hoops on a playground court to a grown and matured NBA player, is winning a championship. As hard as it is to win a title, several players win it each year. And this year, it was Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics.
The 2024 NBA Finals are over, and the Celtics ran away with the title thanks to a 64-18 regular season, and a 16-3 postseason. They went a combined 80-21 to bash their way to the title, and it was thanks to the elite play of Brown, Jayson Tatum, and company that got them there.
Tatum admitted that the feeling is “ten times better” than he ever could have imagined. Brown, his partner, notched Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP thanks to his elite play, and he had some dreamy words about winning the title as well.
In a Disney Movie
Following the conclusion of Game 5, which saw the Celtics stomp out the Dallas Mavericks by a score of 106-88 and crush their title hopes, Brown addressed the media. He spoke about how winning the title felt magical, like “some Disney movie.”
“I’m happy we won. That was it,” Brown said. “It was a full team effort. JT played amazing. Everybody did their part. Drew played amazing. I’m just grateful. I’m grateful. To be honest, I’m at a loss for words. I don’t even know how to describe it. None of it feels real. Right now, it feels like we’re in some Disney movie or something.”
Disney movies often carry a magical and mystical aura, and to Brown, he claims that the way he feels after winning the title is surreal, as if it is magical and unreal.
His stats in the playoffs were unreal, as he averaged 23.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game, while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor. That was higher than his regular season averages of 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, along with 49.9 percent shooting from the field.
From Observer to Winner
Back in 2022, the last time Brown reached the NBA Finals, he admitted that getting there was his dream. Unfortunately for him, he and the Celtics were crushed by the Golden State Warriors in that series, but it gave him valuable experience which he used to win it all just two short years later.
“I’m Jalen Brown, right off the street,” said Brown in 2022. “I can’t wait to see the finals. One day I want to be in the same situation as this guy. I’m watching Steph Curry warm up, I’m watching Andre with the other warm up. Right now I feel kind of excited. He works with us, he works with us. So what about my position? I want to get here so bad. I will be here.”
He did get there. His individual stats were, of course, outstanding, and it is the reason why he notched Finals MVP. But according to Brown, it was a team effort, and he would not have been there if not for his teammates.
“I’m in a super great group,” Brown said after this year’s Finals. “We share everything. This group has been fantastic all year. Coaching staff has been fantastic from the jump, and now we’re here. All the hard work has paid off. We’ve been the best team in basketball all year long, and we dominated the playoffs.”
Brown’s elite play, combined with the elite play of his teammates, and the ability to get that consistent play all season long, were the factors that led to his Boston Celtics winning the 2024 title. Now, his name will be cemented in basketball lore forever as championship banner number 18 floats up to the TD Garden rafters.
