Jaylen Brown stepped up massively for the Boston Celtics this season. When Jayson Tatum tore his right Achilles tendon in the 2025 playoffs, many people did not think Boston would contend. However, the Celtics remain one of the best teams in the NBA, in large part, because Brown put himself in MVP conversations.
Jaylen Brown Speaks on MVP Chants From Boston Celtics Fans
Boston took down the Phoenix Suns 120-112 on March 16 for its seventh win in 10 games. Brown finished as the game’s leading scorer. He dropped 41 points on 10-of-20 shooting with seven rebounds, six assists, one steal, and one block. He out-dueled Suns star Devin Booker, who had 40 points on 15-of-24 from the field on the night.
Celtics fans chanted “MVP! MVP!” in the fourth quarter when Brown shot two of his career-high 19 makes on 21 free throws for the game. In his postgame press conference, the five-time All-Star spoke on the Boston fans’ support and encouragement.
“It’s pretty awesome to be at this point in my career and be able to get that love from the fans,” Brown said.
Brown received MVP chants for the second time in as many days. He attended a St. Patrick’s Day parade in South Boston just the day before, and fans showed the same support in both environments.
“I got MVP chants as well on Southie. I think that might have been a little cooler … It was fun. That was my first time going to St. Patrick’s Day … It was cold, and it was early, but it felt like the whole city was drunk,” Brown expressed with a smile.
The 29-year-old averages career highs across the board this season at 28.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game. With Tatum sidelined for most of the campaign, Brown knew he needed to take on a bigger offensive role.
Some players suffer a drop in efficiency when they carry a bigger offensive load. For example, Derrick White puts up a career-high 17.5 points on 15.2 shots per game in 2025-26 but shoots a career-low 39.5% from the field. He has not maintained elite 3-point shooting either, going from 38.4% in 2024-25 to 33.0% from deep this season.
Despite a gigantic leap in Brown’s career-high 36.2% usage on the campaign, he stayed efficient from the floor at 47.9%. Opposing teams doubled him more than at any point in his 10-year career with Tatum Sidelined. However, Brown rarely forced the issue with bad shots. He found the open man to keep Boston’s lethal 3-point offense moving. The Celtics’ offense only becomes stronger with Tatum’s miraculous return.
