| Full Name | Jaylen Marselles Brown | |
| Age | 26 | |
| Birthday | October 24, 1996 | |
| Hometown | Marietta, Georgia | |
| Height | 6‘ 6" (1.98 m) | |
| Weight | 223 lbs (101 kg) | |
| NBA Draft | 2016 Round 1, Pick 3 | |
| NBA Debut | October 26, 2016 | |
| Experience | 6 Years | |
| College | University of California | |
| Salary | $26.5 million (2022-23) | |
| Career PPG | 13.1 | |
| Awards | NBA All-Star (2020), All-Rookie Second Team (2017) | |
| Championships | None | |
As a longtime NBA and Celtics fan, I‘m extremely excited to see the continued growth of Jaylen Brown. Ever since he entered the league in 2016, his incredible athleticism, defensive skills, and high basketball IQ have been evident. Though only 26, Brown has already emerged as one of the cornerstones of the Celtics franchise.
High School Stardom in Georgia
Brown first made a name for himself as a high school star at Joseph Wheeler High School in Marietta, Georgia. He led the team to back-to-back state championships in 2014 and 2015, winning Georgia‘s Class AAAAA player of the year both seasons. Some of his incredible high school stats include averaging 28 points, 12 rebounds and 2 steals per game as a senior.
Brown played Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) basketball for Game Elite, helping the team win the prestigious Peach Jam championship in 2014. His stellar play against top competition drew the attention of college scouts across the country.
One Shining Season at California
After weighing offers from many top NCAA programs, Brown decided to play college basketball for the University of California, Berkeley. As a freshman, he made an immediate impact by averaging 14.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2 assists per game.
Some of his noteworthy accomplishments from his lone college season include:
- Earning Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors
- Named a Pac-12 First Team All-Conference selection
- Selected to the All-Pac-12 Defensive Team
- Led Cal to an NCAA Tournament appearance
Brown showed maturity on and off the court at Cal. He took graduate school courses and enriched his education, while speaking out about social issues like racial injustice and education reform. After the season, Brown declared for the 2016 NBA Draft.
Drafted by the Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics chose Brown with the 3rd overall pick in the 2016 draft. I couldn‘t have been more thrilled as a Celtics fan! His draft combine numbers were eye-popping, including a 6’11” wingspan, 41” max vertical leap and a time of 2.87 seconds in the three-quarters court sprint.
Brown made an immediate impact as a rookie, averaging 6.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. He stepped up big-time in the playoffs, scoring 10+ points in 10 playoff games as the Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals. Brown‘s stellar defense also earned him a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Second Team.
Developing into a Star
In the following years, Brown worked tirelessly to improve his game and become a star-level player. His scoring average rose to 14.5 points per game in his second season, as he shot an impressive 39.5% from three-point range. In the 2018 playoffs, Brown averaged 18 PPG as the Celtics again reached the Conference Finals.
Some of my favorite highlights from the first few years of Brown‘s young career include:
- In 2018, scoring a playoff career-high 30 points with 8 three-pointers in Game 2 against the Bucks
- Recording the first 30-point, 5-steal game by a Celtics player since 1990
- Providing a game-winning tip-in with 0.1 seconds left to beat the Jazz in 2019
Brown earned his first NBA All-Star selection in 2020 at just 23 years old. He averaged over 20 PPG during the 2020-21 season as he took his game to new heights. Seeing his rapid improvement over just a few seasons has been amazing to watch.
The Future is Bright
Now in his 6th pro season, the future continues to look very bright for Jaylen Brown. He‘s a complete two-way player who can affect games with his elite defense, transition scoring, perimeter shooting and rim attacking. Brown has firmly established himself as an NBA star.
As a loyal Celtics fan, I cannot wait to watch him lead the franchise alongside Jayson Tatum for years to come. At only 26, Brown‘s best basketball is certainly still ahead of him. His work ethic and drive to be great are unmatched. I know his improvement trajectory will continue heading straight up. The ceiling is incredibly high for what he can accomplish.
With his rare combination of character, intelligence and skill, Jaylen Brown is everything you want as the face of your franchise. I feel lucky to be able to watch his entire career blossom with the Celtics. He‘s quickly become one of my favorite players in the league and I can‘t wait to see him lead the Celtics to future glory.