The conversation of ethical basketball and the insistence on drawing contact to manufacture foul calls has been at the forefront of the sports discourse for quite some time. Recently, after Bam Adebayo went for 83 points, it was magnified even further.
Jaylen Brown, who has consistently been against the idea of exaggerating contact, was on the other side of the table for once. Getting a career high in free throws, his shock was evident at the sudden change in pace.
Jaylen Brown Becomes Free Throw Specialist for 1 Night
One of the pillars of the Boston Celtics since he got drafted to the team, Brown has consistently improved en route to a spectacular career. A five-time All-Star and NBA champion, he was the Finals MVP during the Celtics’ triumph in 2024.
However, the 2025-26 season might be his greatest accomplishment yet. With Jayson Tatum recovering from a torn Achilles, the expectation was that Boston wasn’t going to be a true threat in the Eastern Conference.
But Brown took it up a notch all season long, keeping them in line with the other top teams. Averaging a career-high in points (28.8), rebounds (7.2), and assists (5.2) alongside his usually excellent defense, he was the lone superstar on the team as they emerged as a top-three seed in the East.
Now, with Tatum back in the fold, there is a legitimate chance that they can find their groove and emerge as a contender for the title. The one area, though, where he’s not been near the top of the league is free throw attempts.
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Despite averaging the second-most drives in the league, Brown is 15th in the league in free-throw attempts. It became a real conversation just a few days ago when he was incensed at a late whistle for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
After the game, he even voiced his frustration, claiming, “There’s a couple of plays in the fourth quarter where I felt like I drove strong, went up strong, and I didn’t get the benefit of the doubt. But maybe if I would have flopped, maybe I would have been able to sell that call. And those decide games.”
While his playstyle doesn’t look to have changed, the results were immediate after his comments. As the Celtics beat the Phoenix Suns behind a 41-point masterclass from Brown, the most telling number from his stat line was the 21 free throw attempts.
A career high for the 29-year-old, his shock was apparent on the hardwood right after the game. He said, “Man, I ain’t never ever got to the free throw line that much.” He was more composed in the press conference, as he made his approach clear.
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“I approached the game the same: physical, get downhill, playing off two feet. They made the calls tonight.” It remains to be seen if this was a one-off anomaly or a sign of things to come for the former third overall pick.
But for a Celtics team that wants to be rounding into form and playing its best basketball, Brown’s game can only encourage them for what is to come in the postseason.
