Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown sat down with reporter Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog at a fan event, spending up to five hours talking to fans about his injury timeline and thoughts on the future. It’s easy to see why he is as beloved as he is in the Boston community, giving so much time to talk to fans despite the disappointment of their season ending at the hands of the New York Knicks.
Brown was a star on the court again, finishing his fifth straight year of averaging at least 22 points per game. However, in a worrying update for Celtics fans, he acknowledged that knee surgery is not off the table for his partially torn meniscus. Advising that he will consult with doctors and the organization for the best path to recovery.
This sets up a busy offseason for the Celtics front office.
Jaylen Brown Delivers Upsetting Injury Update on Meniscus Tear
Brown told Dalzell that he’s taking a step back after a long season and hopes that rest will help: “l got a lot of doctors I gotta get evaluated with — see the potential for surgery versus no surgery, wait to speak to the organization. For now, it’s just rest and recovery,” Dalzell shared on X.
Jaylen Brown told me knee surgery is still on the table.
“l got a lot of doctors I gotta get evaluated with — see the potential for surgery versus no surgery, wait to speak to the organization. For now, it’s just rest and recovery. I’m taking a step back from a long season." https://t.co/XkrCaRNbK3
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell)
He wasn’t downbeat during the interview, though, and there is hope around the organization that resting the knee over the next few weeks will resolve the issue.
Busy Offseason Ahead for the Celtics’ Front Office
As if Jayson Tatum’s ruptured Achilles wasn’t bad news enough for the Celtics, his co-star’s knee also requires monitoring. It will be a busy offseason for their medical staff and front office, plus the lingering post-illness fatigue that sapped Kristaps Porziņģis of all energy in the playoffs.
On that topic, GM Brad Stevens told The Athletic that Brown’s knee is in a good place structurally. Brown will be evaluated in the next week or two to decide if surgery is required, but Stevens is hopeful that a few weeks’ rest will resolve the issue.
As for Porziņģis, Stevens also believes that with rest, he’ll be fine and ready to play for Latvia in the summer.
Regarding the Celtics’ offseason plans, he acknowledged that some decisions will need to be made concerning the roster, pointing to the tax penalties associated with their massive payroll. He did stress that their ambitions to be championship contenders have not changed.
However, Brown was far from downbeat while talking to fans; in fact, he provided a rallying cry of hope to the Boston community after losing in six games to their fierce rivals, the Knicks.
Acknowledging how Celtics fans motivate him to be better, he said there’s much to look forward to: “It looks gloomy just now with JT being out, and us ending the year, but it’s a lot to look forward to. I want the city to feel excited about that. This is not the end.”
Those words are bound to comfort fans as they await news on whether he requires surgery over the summer and what moves the front office have in mind for next season’s roster.
