The NBA Awards are always a wildly controversial part of the calendar. With multiple players to choose from, one fan base or another is always left disappointed.
This season, in particular, which saw some truly spectacular numbers from the league’s best, made the selection process all the more difficult.
Jaylen Brown Snubbed for All-NBA First Team Despite MVP Hype
After the awards, though, it was time for the All-NBA teams to be revealed. With 15 spots up for grabs spread across three tiers, there wasn’t a lot of room for a ton of exclusions.
However, the exact standings have caused quite an uproar, with Jaylen Brown not being on the First Team serving as the biggest shock.
At the start of the season, it would have been easy to assume that the Boston Celtics were in a gap year. With Jayson Tatum missing for a major chunk of the season and the roster not making any major improvements, it was safe to say the team was biding its time.
However, under the stewardship of head coach Joe Mazzulla, they emerged as a top-two seed in the Eastern Conference, with Brown having his best season. As the lone star on the roster, he led the Celtics to 56 wins.
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Individually, he was electric all season long, averaging career highs in points (28.7), rebounds (6.9), and assists (5.1). Add in his two-way versatility, and he was an MVP candidate for much of the season.
However, in the voting for the most prestigious regular-season award, he finished at No. 6 behind winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić, Victor Wembanyama, Luka Dončić, and Cade Cunningham.
That should have given folks a hint at how the All-NBA teams were going to turn out. But when the official results came out, there was widespread shock regardless. Connecticut U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy was among the first to express his shock.
He wrote, “Robbery. JB should have been a first team no doubter.” He wasn’t the only one, though, as second-generation star Ron Harper Jr. also took to Instagram to express his shock.
Daniel Donabedian of the Celtics Wire shared Harper’s quotes on X.
“Ron Harper Jr. on Jaylen Brown missing out on First Team All-NBA: ‘2nd team????'(Via @__RHJR on IG)”
The consensus from the Boston fan base, too, was one of anger, given the incredible numbers Brown had put up all season long.
“Jaylen Brown being on second team is beyond embarrassing lol. 28.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 5.1 AST, 1.0 STL, 57.3% TS, 34 MIN. Why does he continue to be disrespected?” one user questioned.
While another added, “Jaylen Brown being on nba second team is disappointing.”
The five players ahead of Brown in the MVP race unsurprisingly ended up making the First Team. So, for the voters, the criteria remained pretty direct.
However, with a large sway of support coming Brown’s way, it could improve his chances in future years.
