LeBron James voiced strong support for Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown as an NBA MVP candidate after the Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 111-89 on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.
Brown led the way with 32 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in 36 minutes. He came close to a triple-double while guiding a Boston team that has been without Jayson Tatum since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on May 12, 2025, due to a torn Achilles.
After the game, James questioned why Brown’s name is not mentioned more often in MVP talks. He pointed out that Brown is averaging around 30 points per game and suggested that MVP discussions can sometimes turn into a popularity contest.
“This whole MVP thing, I don't understand why his name is not getting talked about as well,” James said of Brown after Sunday's game. “Like, nobody gave them a shot to start the season. And he's averaging what, 30? Just under 30? It's a popularity contest sometimes, I tell you.”
Brown later responded to the praise after the game as he spoke to the reporters. He insisted he tunes out both criticism and praise, though he made his case for the award in his own way.
“I feel like I'm the best two-way player in the world,” Brown said. “I play both ends on the court. Night to night, I'm available, which is hard to do. I'm a leader. I help lead my team, empower my team to come out and play confidently, stuff that doesn't always show up on the analytics. And I'm a winner. I come out and try to win every single night. So I'm grateful.”
Jaylen Brown to @ramonashelburne on LeBron James talking about Brown’s MVP case after the Celtics’ win over the Lakers:
“Just come with the same mentality as I have from day one. Don't let the praise or the warmth or the criticism make or break you. Just come out and be Jaylen… pic.twitter.com/bCN0IofO70
— Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) February 23, 2026
He called it an honor to receive recognition from James, whom he described as arguably the best player ever. Brown, who won Finals MVP in 2024 after averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game, said he feels grateful every day.
“It's an honor to play the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. It's an honor for LeBron, who's arguably the best player to ever play the game, giving me some high praise. So, I'm just grateful. I wake up every morning grateful (and) humbled.”
Even without Tatum and after trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in the offseason, Boston is 37-19 and second in the East. What many thought would be a reset has turned into a serious run at the conference crown.
Brown is a big reason for that. He ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring at 29.2 points per game while also averaging career highs of 7.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Brown sits fourth in the league in scoring this season.
Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, the last two MVP winners, have largely controlled the MVP conversation.
Plenty of games remain, and the MVP race is anything but decided. The door isn’t closed, but Brown still has ground to cover if he wants to kick it open.
