Jaylen Brown was named finals MVP after leading the Celtics to their first title since 2008, and here is all you need to know about him.
Who is Jaylen Brown?
Jaylen Marselles Brown (born October 24, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one year of college basketball for the California Golden Bears and was named first-team all-conference and Freshman of the Year in the Pac-12 Conference.
Declaring for the 2016 NBA draft after his freshman season, Brown was selected by the Celtics with the third overall pick. As a professional, he has split his time between shooting guard and small forward. Brown is a three-time NBA All-Star and reached the Eastern Conference finals six times with Boston.
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He helped the Celtics reach the 2022 and 2024 NBA Finals, winning a championship and Finals MVP award in the latter.
Jaylen Brown Early Life and College Career
Brown's basketball journey began at Wheeler High School in Georgia, where he was a Parade All-American. He then played for the University of California, Berkeley, where he led the team in scoring with 14.6 points per game and was named the Pac-12 Rookie of the Year.
Jaylen Brown 2016–17 season: Rookie season
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Brown was selected by the Boston Celtics with the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. He signed his rookie scale contract with the Celtics after averaging 16.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.3 steals in six Summer League games.
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Brown made his debut for the Celtics on October 26, 2016, in the season-opening 122–117 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, scoring nine points on 3-for-4 shooting while also adding two blocks in 19-plus minutes. He helped the Celtics claim the top seed in the Eastern Conference before helping them advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, where the Celtics lost to the Cavaliers in five games.
Brown had a productive rookie season, averaging 17.2 minutes on the floor, 6.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.8 assists in 78 games and 20 starts. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team at the end of the season.
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Jaylen Brown 2017–18 season: Sophomore season
During the offseason, the Celtics drafted Jayson Tatum third overall in the 2017 NBA draft. The duo made their debut in the Celtics' season-opening 102–99 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Brown scored a then-career-high 25 points. He missed two weeks in March 2018 with a concussion.
![The Celtics' dominance in the first half against the Hawks was spearheaded by the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.](https://sportal365images.com/process/smp-images-production/ringier.africa/15042023/8606a616-54a3-41af-9fcc-552b0de44d37.jpg?operations=fit(480:))
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On April 6, Brown set a then-career-high with 32 points in a 111–104 victory over the Chicago Bulls. In the playoffs, Brown became the youngest player in Celtics history to score 30 or more points in a playoff game. The Celtics went on to win the series in seven games.
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Jaylen Brown NBA Stats
Brown's impressive college performance earned him a spot in the 2016 NBA Draft. His career statistics include:
- 17.9 points per game
- 5.2 rebounds per game
- 2.2 assists per game
- 72.3% free throw percentage
- 47.7% field goal percentage
- 36.5% 3-point field goal percentage
Jaylen Brown Contract
In 2023, Jaylen Brown signed a five-year supermax extension worth up to $303.7 million. Brown became eligible for the five-year supermax extension with the Celtics upon earning second-team All-NBA honors in 2022-23.
Brown is slated to make $52.3 million when the contract kicks in during the 2024-25 season and $69.1 million in 2028-29, the final year of the deal. He is not eligible for a no-trade clause because he signed an extension.
Jaylen Brown Personal Life
Brown is a practicing Muslim, having converted in 2021. He performed a pilgrimage in the form of an Umrah in June 2024. Brown is primarily a vegetarian and has interests in Spanish language, history, meditation, philosophy, soccer, and anime. Many have described him as an unusual athlete with ambitions beyond basketball.
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At age 22, Brown became the National Basketball Players Association's youngest elected vice president. He has spoken on the importance of education and technology at Harvard University, MIT, and his alma mater, Berkeley.
Brown is an MIT Media Lab fellow and has collaborated with the university to create the Bridge Program, which mentors Greater Boston youth and high school students of color interested in pursuing careers in STEM programs.
Through his work with MIT and his 7uice Foundation, Brown has taken a strong interest in tackling education and income inequality, among other social advocacy initiatives. He also has a YouTube channel where he posts documentary-style video series depicting his life during the season and off-season workouts.