Now that Jaylen Brown is the Boston Celtics’ “temporary” leader and one of the most experienced stars on the roster, fans might wonder how the 2024 NBA Finals MVP is processing this drastic change heading into the 2025-2026 season. Although the Celtics were looking to defend their position as NBA champions last season, they were unable to do so.
Jayson Tatum tore his right Achilles tendon, and the team lost to the New York Knicks in the second round of the 2024-2025 Eastern Conference playoffs. As a result, Brown is expected to lead the team to start the upcoming season, something that he has never been asked to do for any lengthy period of his career. He revealed that the Celtics’ decision to move several key players from their roster has now put him in a unique position.
Jaylen Brown Embraces the Challenge of Leading This New Boston Celtics Squad
The current Celtics lineup looks very different, to say the least. After all, the team added young stars such as Anfernee Simons to their roster. Since Tatum will only be able to provide support from the sidelines to start the season, it will fall upon Brown to keep the Celtics in contention for a spot in the playoffs.
While many NBA scouts and critics believe that the Celtics will struggle heavily this season, Brown displayed complete confidence in his new squad. When asked about his role shifting from a young star to an “old head,” the Celtics star discussed his ability to adapt to a position of leadership.
“It’s an honor to be honest. I come into work every day. Trying to share my experiences, my basketball knowledge, and also thinking about how I can bring the most out of everybody around me and my teammates, how to make them better, as well as trying to perform at my highest level.”
Jaylen Brown laughed when asked by @GwashburnGlobe how it feels to almost be one of the team’s “old heads.”
“Old head hurts.”
Then, more seriously, he explained why it’s an honor to be in a leadership position:
“I come to work every day trying to share my experiences, my… pic.twitter.com/zNsHKdnhtV
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) October 13, 2025
Brown concluded with an air of confidence, “So it’s a balance. I have the tools to do it. I’ve been helping in enough roles throughout the years to be able to have a good feel for everything. So I’m embracing it. I’m enjoying it. It’s going to take some time to figure out but when we do I feel excited about our team…”
In their three preseason games so far, the Celtics hold a record of two wins and one loss, which came in a game against the Toronto Raptors that Brown did not suit up for.
Considering that the Celtics were able to blow out the Memphis Grizzlies and Cleveland Cavaliers, albeit in preseason games, the team might just be able to hold on to a top position in the East without Tatum.
Celtics fans are certainly hoping that Brown will be able to help the team accomplish just that. After all, they have a legitimate chance to contend for a title if they are comfortably positioned and Tatum makes a triumphant comeback towards the end of the season. Fans are left wondering what this new Celtics squad will be able to accomplish.
