Celtics' Jaylen Brown Gets Honest About All-NBA Second Team Selection
Jaylen Brown had a standout season for the Boston Celtics, helping to lead a team missing Jayson Tatum to one of the best records in the Eastern Conference.
He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists for his squad, which ultimately got Tatum back in the lineup, but was eliminated in a seven-game first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers.
Nonetheless, Brown was the driving force behind the Celtics’ defying expectations in their latest season, especially with their top superstar out of the lineup.
On Sunday, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team for his contributions this past campaign with the Boston Celtics and spoke about the honor on his live stream.
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"I’m not the most liked man on media. Sometimes I use my platform a little controversially, so I’m surprised I’m on any team, let alone first or second,” Brown said on Sunday evening. “I’m grateful. God is the greatest.”
Brown’s reaction to the honor came amid his offseason beef with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, as the two got into a back-and-forth on social media and in videos. Smith was among those criticizing Brown for saying this past season was his favorite after the Celtics lost in Game 7 to the 76ers.
That comment raised attention since Brown previously won the NBA Championship and the NBA Finals MVP several seasons ago. When they won, they had a healthy Jayson Tatum playing throughout the season and the NBA Finals.
Some, including Smith and other sports analysts, suggested that Brown preferred being the team’s top star and might be trying to get traded to a new team where he could be the top star without Tatum around.
Smith also brought up that Brown wasn’t as well-liked and that he knew some things behind the scenes, prompting further responses from the Celtics star.
Along with that, Brown received a fine for comments about the officials in the Celtics-76ers series, including a claim that 76ers big man Joel Embiid was “flopping around” a lot.
During Sunday’s NBC pregame coverage of the NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Carmelo Anthony agreed that Jaylen Brown could’ve made the All-NBA First Team, as well as the New York Knicks’ Jalen Brunson.
The difference is that one of those two players is still competing with his team in the postseason, while the other is doing live streams in his offseason.
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This story was originally published May 25, 2026 at 10:08 AM.