76ers star Jaylen Brown looks totally unrecognizable without his signature beard

Since his arrival into the NBA, Jaylen Brown has undergone a serious transformation.

Long gone are the days of the fresh-faced rookie with a flat-top cut after the Philadelphia 76ers star went full buzz-cut in 2020 before growing out his hair again, though opting for braids before returning to the buzz cut earlier in 2025.

Brown is now a member of the Philadelphia 76ers after a blockbuster offseason tradeCredit: Getty

Brown also became known for his thick beard, especially after picking up the 2024 NBA Finals MVP award.

But rewinding back to the 2024-25 regular season – his ninth in the league – the 27-year-old once again switched things up, and bid goodbye to his signature beard ahead of the campaign in which the Celtics were defending NBA champions.

Opting for the clean-shaven look, fans at the time were quick to note that Brown looked far younger, with some even likening him to that of two-time NBA champion, Kawhi Leonard.

“Jaylen Brown shaved his beard and started to look like Kawhi Leonard twin 😂😂,” one user posted to X (formerly Twitter).

Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown looks unrecognisable without his beard!

“He looks so young! Although with those muscles, who is looking for a beard!,” another fan posted on Reddit, referring to his dramatic body transformation in which he showed himself completing underwater workouts that same off-season.

But other fans speculated that Brown opting to shave off his beard was to help enhance his performances.

“Makes sense, the beard was slowing him down,” another fan wrote on Reddit. “Considering the combination of the added weight and wind resistance, it makes sense.”

“Hear me out. Derrick White shaved his head and my man popped off. Maybe JB becomes MJ [Michael Jordan]when he shaves his beard. It’s like when Rock Lee takes off his weights,” another fan said.

“This man will stop at nothing to continue growing in all aspects of life,” a third commented.

Brown was, of course, asked about his decision to discard of his facial hair, to which he shared, via Gregory Corbin, “Sometimes you have to shed to move forward. It’s symbolic. It’s the next step.”

Jaylen Brown went viral in 2024 for shaving off his iconic thick beardCredit: X/ @NBA

Brown became a standout at California and was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year before being drafted by the BostonCredit: Getty

He was drafted third overall in the 2016 NBA Draft by BostonCredit: Getty

However, during his Celtics media day, he said: “People be calling me already saying ‘the beard is gone, noooo!’ It’ll be back.”

Humble beginnings to record-breaker

Before making his name in the NBA, seeing his status further emphasised by his five-year supermax contract worth up-to-$304 million, which at that time in July 2023, was the richest contract in league history, Brown was just a baby-faced first-round pick seeking to lift the Celtics out of their playoff slump.

Drafted in 2016 with the third overall pick, behind Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram, Brown joined a Celtics squad that had a 40-42 losing record, yet made the playoffs where they were swept by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

A player with incredible academic intelligence, showcased by taking a masters-level class in Cultural Sport in Education during the first semester of his freshman year, Brown attended the University of California, Berkeley where he suited up for the Golden Bears.

A five-star recruit, in the 2015-16 campaign Brown averaged 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and two assists in 27.6 minutes of action in 34 total games, which saw him named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, earning first-team All-Pac-12 honors.

Brown’s NBA career got off to a slow start, where in his first three seasons as a pro, he started just 115 of his 222 outings, averaging 11.2 points at a 46.2 percent shooting clip and 36.5 percent from behind the three-point line, four rebounds and 1.3 assists.

Brown hadn’t been seen beardless since his high school daysCredit: Getty

The thick beard has been a mainstay in Brown’s career, and has become synonymous with his individual – and team – successesCredit: Getty

Jaylen Brown has undergone multiple transformations throughout his decade-long NBA careerCredit: IG/ @fchwpo

But after earning the starting shooting guard role in the 2019-20 season, he never looked back.

During the Celtics’ championship-winning postseason run in 2024, Brown notched 29.8 points on 51.7 percent shooting from the field, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.0 steals, which ultimately led the Celtics to sweep the Indiana Pacers and seal their place in the NBA Finals, with the guard winning the Conference Finals MVP award.

But, the job wasn’t finished, and neither was Brown.

En route to defeating the Dallas Mavericks in five games, Brown’s 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals was enough to also be named the NBA Finals MVP, adding credence to Boston penning him to such a lucrative deal in the off-season prior.

Jaylen Brown – and his signature beard – won the 2024 NBA Finals MVP awardCredit: Getty

Now he’s part of a 76ers superteam with championship aspirationsCredit: GettyStepping into a leading role

However, in July 2026, the Celtics sent Brown to the division-rival Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, two future first-round draft picks (including an unprotected 2031 first and a 2028 pick swap/first), and two second-round draft picks.

The move ended Brown’s 10-year stint in Boston and paired him with LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid in Philadelphia as they try to make a run at a championship.

Philly is off to an 8–1 start, sitting at the top of the Eastern Conference, and looking like the powerhouse many predicted in pre-season.

Brown has started at small forward, contributing on both ends while adjusting into a shared rotation with Maxey, Embiid, and V.J. Edgecombe.

He scored a season-high 30 points (11-19 FG, 3-5 3PT) with seven rebounds and a huge block down the stretch in a 112–106 road victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, 4 November.

Through eight games played this season, Brown is averaging 21.8 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.9 APG on 47.4% from the field, 44.4% from three-point, and 73.2% from the free-throw line.

Brown appears to be settling in well to the City of Brotherly Love, recently giving Architectural Digest a tour of his 4,000-square-foot downtown apartment, showing off everything from a medical-grade hyperbaric chamber to an 18th century harp.

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