Jaylen Brown has never started a season better than this. The Boston Celtics forward is averaging a career-high 27.9 points per game on 50.6% shooting, providing a bright spot for a 9-8 team trying to find its footing. But his path to this career-best production almost led him out of Boston entirely.
Brown recently revealed in a TikTok video that he considered leaving the Celtics during a difficult stretch, but a conversation with an NBA legend changed his mind.
How Did Tracy McGrady Convince Jaylen Brown To Stay In Celtics?
Brown’s career arc has been fascinating to watch. After the Celtics selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, he struggled to find his rhythm as a rookie. He showed major signs of progress in his second and third seasons before ascending into superstardom in year four.
Years later, the dynamic duo of Brown and Jayson Tatum has won an NBA Finals, and Brown has taken home Finals MVP honors. Despite that success, trade rumors have followed him throughout his entire tenure in Boston.
Brown posted a TikTok tribute to his friend and mentor, Tracy McGrady, noting all the ways McGrady has helped him throughout his career. Crucially, the Hall of Famer encouraged him to stay in Boston even when the situation looked bleak.
Jaylen Brown admits he thought about leaving the Celtics, but Tracy McGrady convinced him to stay
“Nah, bro, trust me. Whatever you can do, if you could stay, you’ve got the opportunity to win, win.”
(🎥 @FCHWPO ) pic.twitter.com/g7otoV9eWR
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 24, 2025
In his TikTok video, Brown explained his mindset during those tough times.
“There are times where things was looking rough here in Boston. I don’t know how many times they put me in trade talks for whatever reason. It was always something… So I was like, ‘You know what? I think it may be time to go. I think I can go somewhere else… I’m not allowed to grow the same like other players.
“T Mac was like, ‘Stay bro,'” said Brown. “He was like, ‘Nah bro. Trust me. Whatever you can do, if you can stay and you got an opportunity to win, win.'”
Brown followed that up by saying, “I forever took that with me.”
Ironically, Brown is now getting the chance to grow as a primary scoring option with Tatum sidelined due to an Achilles injury. While the team doesn’t have championship aspirations at the moment, Brown seems to be relishing the opportunity to expand his game. He looks like a player who can handle the load of a true No. 1 scorer, giving the Celtics something they can rely on both with and without Tatum.
