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Jaylen Brown and the Celtics were one game away from beating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals. In fact, they had an opportunity to knock off King James down the stretch of that Game 7, but the young Celtics couldn't convert.
With James' departure for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Celtics likely won't get another shot at LeBron in the playoffs. Brown wishes he hung around in the East so they could get their shot, according to Brian Robb of the Boston Sports Journal. Brown told Robb:
“I wanted him to stay so we could go through him.”
More from Brown, per MassLive.com's Fred Katz:
“I was kind of mad… I feel like we could have had it last year, but we fell a little bit short.”
Clearly, there's a part of Brown that feels like the Celtics have some unfinished business.
Even if Brown's not willing to admit it, James' signing in Los Angeles is one of the best things to happen to the Eastern Conference in some time. LeBron's had a stranglehold on the East for eight straight years. Without LeBron, the conference is finally wide open.
Coincidentally, the Boston Celtics are the favorites to emerge from the weak conference. Of course, the Philadelphia Sixers could pose a threat, but Boston nearly took down James and the Cavaliers without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward.
Brown's competitive nature is nothing to worry about, but the Celtics will certainly reap the benefits of an Eastern Conference without LeBron James.
And, on the off chance that LeBron leads the Lakers to the Finals, Brown may get his chance to “go through” James en route to a title.
