“Jaylen ‘Underappreciated’ Brown”. That was the nickname LeBron James dubbed the Boston Celtics superstar, Jaylen Brown, during his first All-Star selection. Bron was the All-Star captain for the 2021 edition and chose JB as his 4th pick. Clearly, the 4x champion saw what this year’s Eastern Conference Finals MVP was capable of back then.

And his trust was not misplaced or unfounded. Jaylen Brown has grown into one of the pillars of the Celtics franchise. Many fans and analysts have talked about how he could very well have become a superstar if he had moved from Boston. But he stuck to ‘Beantown’ since he was drafted as No. 3 in the 2016 draft night.

As the Celtics swept the Eastern Conference Finals 4-0 against the Indiana Pacers tonight, LeBron took to X to shoutout JB. “@FCHWPO !!! Keep going Young [King]! RESPECT!” 

The Lakers superstar has the title “King James” owing to his phenomenal performances and how he continues them to this day. For him to give the same recognition to Jaylen Brown, speaks volumes about his talent.

All the efforts and energy the Jays have put into the Cs seem to have come together this season. Boston has been the favorite to win since the beginning. And they have the results to prove it, too. They finished the season with the best record in the league. The team, even without their defensive stalwart Kristaps Porziņģis, continues to put up splendid performances in the playoffs. Of course, the rest who have stepped up to fill in the Latvian center’s role are a major reason.

Yet, there is no doubt that without the leadership and commitment of both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, ‘The Bay State’ wouldn’t be where they are now. Despite it all, the reality seems determined to hurt the 27-year-old.

“That probably hurt me the most”: Jaylen Brown opens up on the All-NBA snub

Game 2 of ECF saw Brown locked in like never before. And the reason that many, nay, everyone echoed was the All-NBA snub. Talking to reporters in the post-game presser tonight, JB finally shared his feelings on the matter. “I think I’m one of the best two-way wings, guards whatever you want to say in this game. I thought this year I have taken a level, and I have increased it,” he said.

“I feel like I should have been All-Defensive and that probably hurt me the most … But as time has gone by, I got to this point where I just stopped caring. I just embrace, and I don’t care who sees what. As long as my team knows my value, my city knows my value, my family, that’s all I care about.”

Brown had a somewhat similar response when talking about the snub the other night. “We’re two games from the Finals, so I don’t got the time to give a f**k.” Tonight’s presser saw a calmer and more elaborate version of this. However, his teammates weren’t too comfortable with it and they had made it known.

Interestingly, his coach, Joe Mazzulla, had a different take on it. The Celtics coach said that Jaylen looks at these situations as a way to motivate him to do better. Mazzulla also pointed out that Brown ultimately cares about only one thing – winning. “He just has a growth mindset and wants to get better,” Coach Mazzulla said.

It seems like that is also Brown’s goal. “I like to set my hat on being a versatile two-way wing and can do both at any point in time.” What did you think of JB’s admission and goals? Can the Celtics really win it all at the NBA Finals? Let us know your thoughts below!

Before you go, another matter foremost in our mind is about our beloved Inside the NBA crew. While many are sure they are going to be disbanded, Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, thinks otherwise. To know more about his comments, watch this video.