Jaylen Brown’s Mental Health Journey Fuels ‘Built Different’ Performance vs. Warriors

Jaylen Brown is “him”. He made sure that he punished the Golden State Warriors for their grave mistake of playing “mind games” with him. The Warriors, and Draymond Green in particular, decided to leave Brown wide open and dared him to shoot from beyond the arc. JB didn’t hesitate, as he shot 5-10 from downtown and ended the match with a game-high 29 points.

Brown and the Celtics capitalized on the Warriors’ strategic blunder, leading to a 140-88 victory over them. This victory marked Boston’s third-largest margin of victory in franchise history. Following their blowout victory against the Dubs, new recruit Jrue Holiday called out the Warriors for their naive game plan. He said, “I found it more like a mind game. I think some people try to do that. But JB is built different. His mental is at a different level. So he’s probably not the best person to do that to.” 

However, Jaylen Brown hasn’t built such a strong mentality overnight. Brown has been vocal about his and other NBA athletes’ struggles during the Orlando bubble. He became one of the first players to talk about mental health issues during the Covid-19 lockdown. In an interview with NBC Sports, Brown disclosed the pitfalls of being inside the Orlando bubble. He said, “I definitely want to bring awareness to mental health, anxiety, and forms of depression in times like this and places like this in the bubble. Our athletes probably struggle with that and don’t feel confident enough to speak openly about it … It’s tough being away from our family and being isolated from the rest of society.”

At the time of the interview, Jaylen Brown was just 23-years-old. This indicates that even at a young age, Brown always understood the importance of leveling himself. His balanced self has helped him achieve whatever he has in his NBA career so far. However, he still hasn’t won an NBA title. Can he change that this season?

Could Jaylen Brown lead the Celtics to the 2024 NBA title?

The Boston Celtics have looked menacing this season. They have obliterated nearly every team in the regular season. The Celtics are on course to win 66 regular season games, which is just 7 shy of the NBA record. Needless to say, the Celtics are a very good basketball team, and Jaylen Brown has played an instrumental role for them. Boston’s stellar displays have put the rest of the league on notice.

However, playing in the postseason is a completely different ball game. For years, the Celtics have struggled in the playoffs despite dominating in the regular season. But this season could be very different. They currently possess the most cohesive and well-structured roster in the league. Offseason additions of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis have further raised their ceiling. Anything less than an NBA title will be viewed as a failure. So, the pressure is on Jaylen Brown & Co. to perform.

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