Players often know the exact moment when they feel like they belong in the NBA. For Boston Celtics young star Jaylen Brown, it came at a relatively early time in his career.
The 24-year-old Celtics wing revealed that his “welcome to the NBA moment” came in his first career start, which was also his fifth NBA game. It happened against no less than LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Via Alexandra Francisco of New England Sports Network:
There's no doubt that Jaylen Brown belongs in the NBA. In fact, the 24-year-old has become one of the most promising two-way stars in the league for Boston.
As Brown said, he scored 19 points on that Nov. 6 game in the 2016-17 season. The then-19-year-old also had five rebounds and three steals while shooting 8-of-16 from the field. Unfortunately, the Celtics came up short in that game, losing by six points.
As mentioned, Brown had a breakout campaign for the Celtics this season. He averaged 20.3 points and 6.4 rebounds throughout the 2019-20 season.
Brown also had a magnificent playoff run with the Celtics. In 17 postseason games in 2020, the 6-foot-7 swingman put up 21.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, helping Boston reach the Eastern Conference Finals before a loss to the Miami Heat. The 24-year-old is going to be a key part of this Celtics team for a long time.