The Celtics star Jaylen Brown produced the best season of his NBA career in 2025-26 despite Boston’s disappointing first-round playoff exit against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 29-year-old earned All-NBA consideration after averaging career highs of 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists while helping guide the Celtics to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Brown also assumed a larger leadership role throughout the season while co-star Jayson Tatum recovered from Achilles surgery, something Tracy McGrady recently highlighted while discussing Brown’s importance to the franchise.
“I think part of him is like, ‘I showed you guys more of who I am as a basketball player. Not only just what I did on the basketball court, but the leadership that I displayed within this team,’” McGrady said on his podcast.
Despite Boston’s successful regular season, the Celtics suffered a historic collapse in the playoffs, becoming just the 14th team in NBA history to lose a series after leading 3-1.
Philadelphia completed the comeback with a 109-100 victory in Game 7 on Saturday night.
Brown’s future with the franchise has become a topic of discussion following the early exit, though Celtics president Brad Stevens publicly dismissed reports of tension between the organization and the star wing.
Brad Stevens Pushes Back On Reports Of Jaylen Brown Rift With Celtics https://t.co/KjKsem2JuD
— RealGM (@RealGM) May 6, 2026
