Reflecting on Jaylen Brown’s amazing Celtics career on 28th birthday originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Boston Celtics superstar wing Jaylen Brown turned 28 years old Thursday. It might be hard to believe, but he was drafted by the Celtics eight years ago at age 19.
He’s in his ninth season with the Celtics, and he’s already put together one of the most impressive careers in team history, which is saying a lot when you consider this franchise has a record 18 championships and a very long list of Hall of Fame players.
Brown is on pace to become one of the top scorers in Celtics history. He has averaged 20-plus points per game in six straight seasons. As a result, he ranks fourth all-time in points scored by a Celtic before a player’s 28th birthday.
1. Paul Pierce: 12,086 points
2. Jayson Tatum: 11,889
3. Antoine Walker: 10,995
4. Jaylen Brown: 10,038
Brown also ranks third all-time in Celtics history in 3-point shots made with 1,033, trailing only Pierce and Tatum.
He is one of only five players over the last four seasons with at least 6,000 points, 1,500 rebounds, 900 assists, 300 steals and 100 blocks. The other four players are Tatum, Nikola Jokic, Anthony Edwards and Luka Doncic.
Brown also has shown an ability to shine in clutch situations, and that was most evident during the 2024 playoffs.
He played a significant role in the C’s winning Banner 18 last season, earning Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP along the way. He made so many clutch plays in the 2024 NBA Finals win over the Dallas Mavericks, including a 30-point performance in Game 3 on the road.
Brown’s resume with the Celtics also includes three All-Star selections (2021, 2023, 2024), one All-NBA second team selection (2023) and a NBA All-Rookie second team selection (2017).
Even though Brown is in Year 9 with the Celtics, he’s still early in the prime of his career. The best is probably still ahead for Brown, who has improved so many facets of his skill set in recent years. He’s one of the best two-way wings in the league and plays with a level of intensity that is contagious.
The Celtics started their title defense in impressive fashion with a 132-109 win over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, during which Brown scored 23 points on 5-of-9 shooting from 3-point range with seven rebounds. They’ll be back on the court Thursday against the Washington Wizards, with tip-off set for 7 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Boston.