Jaylen Brown has been in the headlines quite a bit over the last few days. The Boston Celtics superstar has been mentioned by name in the NBA MVP conversation as the regular season inches toward a close.
The All-Star earlier took the spotlight for being ejected after an argument with officials during a game against the San Antonio Spurs. Now, his take on NBA awards eligibility has fans on social media talking.
Jaylen Brown Discusses the NBA’s 65-Game Rule for Awards Eligibility
On his Twitch stream, Brown was vocal about the requirements players must meet to be eligible for NBA season awards.
“When it first became a 65-game rule, everybody was in support of it. Because at the time, people were talking about guys who were… what do you call it? What do they call it? Low managing. And there were a lot of complaints around load management,” he said.
“Everyone was in support of it, because guys were load managing, now all of a sudden people don’t want it anymore.”
“The contrary in the past was that guys would be playing 40-50 games and be up for All-NBA, and their numbers would be better versus somebody who played 68-72 games… You basically came to work half the time and got awarded for it,” Brown added.
Brown is eligible for the honors himself this season, as he is just one game away from meeting the 65-game criteria. The wing has been elite in the absence of superstar Jayson Tatum, averaging 28.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.
Former NBA stars and analysts have also been vocal about endorsing Brown as an MVP candidate. His rich vein of form, coupled with the Celtics’ surprisingly solid run after a roster overhaul last season, made him a bona fide candidate to win MVP this season.
Former Celtics star Paul Pierce was one of them, making his argument for Brown to win the honors: “Not enough is being said on how he’s held down the fort pretty much all year… To still elevate your game in your 10th year is pretty amazing, because most of the time, guys are who they are by the time they’re in their fourth or fifth year… It’s just unfortunate that he’s not in MVP talks as he should be.”
Names in the NBA MVP mix this season include Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Victor Wembanyama. Only time will tell if Brown can indeed be a surprise candidate to get the nod.
On the season front, the Celtics are poised to finish as the second seed in the East. They are 47-24 with 11 games remaining in the regular season.
