This offseason marks a new chapter in Jaylen Brown’s career as he finally joins his second NBA franchise after the Boston Celtics traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers.
While the move gives him a fresh opportunity, the former Celtics star still appears to be carrying the disappointment of falling short in last season’s MVP race.
Jaylen Brown Still Frustrated by MVP Loss to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Brown established himself as one of the NBA’s elite two-way wings over his decade-long tenure in Boston. He silenced many critics by winning both the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP awards in 2024, leading the Celtics to a historic 18th NBA championship.
The 29-year-old star embraced the responsibility of leading the Celtics team when Jayson Tatum was sidelined for an Achilles injury last season. Brown delivered a superstar-caliber campaign that helped Boston finish second in the Eastern Conference during the regular season.
Beyond his success on the court, Brown has also continued to expand his influence off it. In 2024, he took a major step off the court by launching his own signature footwear brand, 741.
In a recent YouTube video, Brown discussed the motivation behind founding his own shoe company.
The five-time All-Star also expressed his frustration over last season’s MVP voting, believing he deserved the award more than Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
“I decided with my time, because of my frustrations with brands, just to start my own,” Brown told Olympic champion Noah Lyles.
“I’ve been a Top 5 MVP candidate. Should have been Top 1, but the media votes for that. All-Star, All-Star starter, all these different things, and they just keep moving the bar on me, and that’s fine,” Brown continued.
“Because I’m not chasing their bar, I’m chasing my own. I’m going to get even better. That’s why I’m here, to get even better at the details and efficiency, because people think they’ve seen the best version of me, and they want me to see me fail or move the bar.”
Brown enjoyed the best production of his career last season, averaging a career-high 28.7 points per game across 71 appearances. Despite the impressive numbers, he finished sixth in the final MVP voting.
On the other hand, SGA claimed the 2025-26 NBA MVP after leading the Thunder to a 64-18 record while averaging 31.1 points per game, earning 83 of the 100 first-place votes to earn the back-to-back MVP.
However, as Brown made clear, he is once again motivated to prove his doubters wrong. According to HoopsHype, Brown became the second-fastest NBA Finals MVP ever to be traded after winning the award, trailing only Dennis Johnson, who won Finals MVP in 1979 before being traded to the Phoenix Suns in 1980.
Fortunately for Brown, he now joins a star-studded Philadelphia roster featuring LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and VJ Edgecombe.
With that level of talent around him, the 29-year-old has a legitimate opportunity to elevate his game and win the first regular-season MVP award of his career.
