Jaylen Marselles Brown, more fondly called JB, finally reaped the fruits of his hard work tonight. The Boston Celtics won their 18th title after a 16-year drought. The Jays got oh-so-close to a ring in 2022, only to be thwarted by the Golden State Warriors. But they weren’t about to let the same happen this time. Even with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving on the opposing side, the team the Cs assembled had fought and failed and finally got where they needed to be. Interestingly, though, it seems like Jaylen Brown knew that Game 5 would be the day. Or night.

The press was treated to an emotional Brown during the post-game meet. Of course, he would be emotional! The man just won his first NBA ring! Right? Well, that part is right. However, that wasn’t the only reason. Jaylen wished that his grandmother, Diane Varnado, was around to see her grandson at the height of his achievement. Yes, as per Jaylen Brown, his grandmother visited him in his dream during a pregame nap, Celtics reporter Bobby Krivitsky shared on X.

Brown’s exact words were, “I woke up from my pregame nap. I had a dream and my grandma was in my dream and she gave me a hug, this afternoon. I just knew everything was gonna be alright.“

It’s a well-known fact that JB is close to his family. Each and every one of his family members was dear to him, and they all taught him something. It wasn’t any different with his grandmother. “If you want something, you’ve got to be able to explain why,” Brown had recalled his grandma telling him during an interview with the New York Times last year. That’s profound wisdom, right there!

In fact, the late matron had asked JB and his brother, Quenton Brown, to write an essay on why they wanted an Xbox 360. A former public school teacher and activist, Varnado, had instilled a sense of need, rather than want in a young Brown. But this is just one aspect of what made the 2024 NBA champion a true survivalist.

“Basketball is what you do, it is not who you are”: Jaylen Brown could always rely on his mother to keep his priorities in check

A family rooted in academics, it was natural that Jaylen would also follow the same route. Having grown up with his mother, Mechalle Brown had ingrained the value of education in her son. Mrs. Brown herself holds two degrees – a Bachelor of Science from Michigan State and an MBA from American InterContinental University. Not to mention, his extended family were of various professions, like lawyers, doctors, etc.

Hence, it was not surprising that Mechalle would stress the importance of higher education. But more importantly, she always advocated for speaking up for the voiceless. “No matter how tall you are, and how well you play the game, basketball is what you do. It is not who you are. Who you are is measured by the mark you leave on the world.” This was something she kept reminding her son.

As Jaylen Brown stands at the biggest stage of his career, there is no doubt that his mother, late grandmother, grandfather, brother, and father couldn’t be more proud. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that there is still a lot more to learn about this Georgia native.

 But before you go, be sure to check this video of Leonardo Armato’s take on Caitlin Clark vs Angel Reese.

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