Spending a decade with the Boston Celtics prepared Jaylen Brown for just about everything.
He now brings that experience to a rebuilt Philadelphia 76ers team seeking its first championship in 43 years.
Fully cognizant of the implications that come with playing in Philadelphia — a long-storied Boston rival — and alongside a star-studded group featuring Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, V. J. Edgecombe and LeBron James, Brown feels prepared for what’s ahead.
That’s all he’s focused on, fully aware of the spotlight his arrival — and James’ — will shine on both him and the Sixers this upcoming season.
“At this point now, I’ll probably ignore a lot of it,” Brown told reporters during his introductory press conference Thursday, per NBC Sports Philadelphia.
Brown, when asked, avoided most Boston-related questions from members of the press. He kept his answers short and measured, offering minimal insight when asked about his relationship with Jayson Tatum and feelings on the trade.
But when the discussion steered toward the pressures that await him in Philadelphia, Brown expressed confidence. The past decade in Boston not only allowed Brown to improve as a player, but also forced him to learn how to handle the pressure that comes with chasing an NBA championship.
He’s already been through that, taking home both the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP awards in 2024.
It just so happened that Brown’s departure from the Celtics — something that had been rumored for the past seven-ish years — delivered him his next challenge at the perfect time.
“I played in Boston for the last 10 years, and the pressure is high there — it’s Titletown,” Brown continued. “They expect to win every single year, and they’re always looking for someone to blame. Some of those years, it was me. So I’ve been through that. All I come with is my work ethic, my mentality, impact on winning, and that’s just my approach. Nothing else matters.”
Being part of a loaded roster is nothing new to Brown. In 2024, the Celtics brought in Kristaps Porziņģis and Jrue Holiday to help get them over the hump. And in order to acclimate both Porziņģis and Holiday, Brown understood and accepted the sacrifice required from him. He didn’t complain, nor did he insinuate he was being held back by those around him that season. Brown did his part, averaging nearly three fewer shot attempts than in his prior campaign while embracing the sacrifices required to turn Boston into a championship team.
During his rookie season, Brown, selected third overall in the 2016 NBA Draft, played off the bench and watched Isaiah Thomas guide Boston to the conference finals.
The following season, Brown — in tandem with a then-rookie Tatum — assumed responsibilities as the leaders in Boston with Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward sidelined with injuries before the postseason.
In Boston, things didn’t always go according to plan. Brown endured plenty of gutwrenching defeat from losing to the Miami Heat in seven games after turning a 3-1 deficit into a 3-3 tie to this most recent playoff hunt in which he and the Celtics blew a 3-1 advantage to the Sixers. But as he discovered through the highs and lows of playing in one of the most demanding markets in professional sports, each season is a stepping stone of its own. The next one will determine whether or not that next step is toward a championship pursuit or Brown’s next (painful) learning lesson.
That’s entirely up to him and the Sixers.
“We’re all trying to figure this thing out,” Brown said. “LeBron, he’s active in the group chats. We’re trying to all get on the same page. I think everybody knows how incredible of an opportunity that we have, but we also have to put in the work. So my focus is on that — putting in the work, earning the respect from the city, from the coaching staff, everything. It takes time. I understand how that process of winning works.”
But in terms of preparation, James isn’t the only member of Philadelphia’s locker room with championship pedigree.
We’ve already seen what a motivated, back-against-the-wall JB looks like. Two summers ago, Brown was left off the United States Team for the Paris Summer Olympics. He admitted the snub served as fuel, responding by averaging 22.2 points on 46.3 percent shooting during his fourth All-Star campaign in 2024-25.
This past season, Brown conquered doubt again with his loudest response to date. He guided an underdog Celtics without Tatum, who nursed his ruptured Achilles tendon for the first 62 games of the season, to 56 wins and the No. 2 seed in the East. Boston’s only bump in the road in the regular season was its 0-3 start in October, which became the team’s lone three-game losing streak until the playoffs.
He averaged a career-high 28.7 points, made the mid-range his bread and butter and allowed everyone around him to develop — all while playing the biggest role in transforming Boston from a rebuilding project into a legitimate contender.
Needless to say, Brown is more than qualified for whatever he’ll face in Philadelphia.
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