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Celtics’ superstar forward Jaylen Brown believes he’s the best two-way player in the NBA
The Boston Celtics picked up their eighth win in their past nine contests on Sunday night when they cruised to a 111-89 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. As has usually been the case this season, superstar forward Jaylen Brown led the way for the Celtics, and after the game, he made a bold declaration that quickly caught fans’ attention.
With Jayson Tatum recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, Brown has carried the load for the C’s on offense this season. In the process, he’s taken his game to another level, which has led to him emerging as a de facto MVP candidate this year. After comfortably dispatching the Lakers, Brown was not shy in voicing his thoughts about his electrifying campaign.
Jaylen Brown Labels Himself the Best Two-Way Player in the NBA
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
Entering the year, Brown had already established himself as one of the top 10-to-15 players in the NBA, but it’s been tough to ignore just how big a leap he has managed to take this season. Brown is currently averaging career-highs across the board (29.2 PPG, 7 RPG, 4.9 APG), and while he’s leading the league with 22.6 field goal attempts per game, he’s still shooting a very efficient 48.1% from the field.
On the other end of the floor, Brown has remained arguably Boston’s most versatile defender. On most nights, Brown finds himself guarding the opposing team’s top scorer, which is a challenge he embraces. Brown’s agility and length make him a very tough player to score against, and even with his responsibilities on offense expanding, he hasn’t let that take away from his play on defense.
Put it all together, and Brown is authoring an MVP-caliber campaign that earned him a shoutout from LeBron James after this game. When informed about James’ comments, Brown took a second to shout his name to the masses, as he declared himself the best two-way player in the league when discussing his 2025-26 campaign.
“Who I am, I feel like I’m the best two-way player in the world,” Brown said when speaking to reporters. “I play both ends on the court night-to-night. I’m available, which is hard to do. I’m a leader. 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.”
Jaylen Brown, Celtics Continue to Defy Expectations
GettyJaylen Brown continues to be tossed around as MVP candidate amid career year for Celtics.
Even beyond the absence of Tatum, the Celtics lost several key members of their rotation, such as Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet, over the offseason. And yet, none of that has mattered, thanks in large part to Brown’s superb play. While he’s gotten some help from Boston’s unsung supporting cast, the C’s don’t find themselves in second place in the Eastern Conference without Brown.
While Boston is already rolling, things could be set to get even better for them soon, as it looks like Tatum is closing in on a return to the court for the team. Assuming that happens, the Celtics could quickly become one of the top title contenders across the league. For the time being, though, Brown is still running the show, and he will look to lead his squad to another victory when they take on the Phoenix Suns at 9 p.m. ET on Tuesday night.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is a Breaking News Writer at Heavy. In addition to writing for Heavy, Owen works as a Content Producer for More Views Media. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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