Jaylen Brown just fulfilled a 9-year promise — and further cemented his Celtics legacy

After being drafted in 2016, Jaylen Brown promised he’d go to war for the city of Boston. Battling through knee pain against Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs, the Celtics star showed exactly what that looks like.

BOSTON — Jaylen Brown grimaced as he took the floor for warmups ahead of Game 5, his right knee smothered in a large wrap. After the 120-89 closeout victory, he sat in the Celtics locker room, his injured knee and dislocated index finger both submerged in ice.

On countless occasions throughout the Celtics’ first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic, it was evident that Brown lacked his usual burst as he attacked the basket. Since mid-February, he’s publicly navigated a right knee injury that has severely limited him — an injury he said he’s dealing with “one day at a time”, one that’s frustrated him, but never stopped him.

On the outside, pressure mounted for Brown to rest down the stretch of the regular season, with media, fans, and even good friend Kristaps Porzingis seemingly critiquing Brown’s decision to largely play through March and April.

“He’s a tough dude,” Porzingis said after a Celtics’ regular-season win over the Knicks in April. “He always preaches his warrior mindset. He lives by it. But to what extent do we need that right now? Maybe he needs to take care of it and make sure he’s going to be ready for the most important moment.”

Brown ultimately sat out of the Celtics’ final three games and received pain injections ahead of the playoffs, only to reappear on the injury report two games into the postseason.

But, despite being listed as questionable with the knee right knee impingement for Games 3, 4, and 5, he played in all five first-round playoff games, eclipsing 41 minutes twice.

That become particularly important with Jrue Holiday sidelined for the series’s final three games, with Jayson Tatum still dealing with a wrist injury suffered in the playoff opener — and with the Magic playing with a level of physicality that turned every first-round game into a battle.

“My first interview with Boston, I said I was going to go to war for the city,” Brown said after Game 2, in which he exploded for 36 points with Tatum sidelined. “I don’t think nothing has changed.”

When it was all said and done, Brown had an elite first-round series, averaging 23 points on 49.4% shooting — including 44.4% from three and 84.4% from the line.

All of those numbers were a step above his regular-season numbers.

In Game 2, Brown hit 12 of 19 shots (and 5 of 7 threes), powering the Celtics to a 109-100 lead to give the Celtics a 2-0 series lead.

Then, in back-to-back games to close the series out, he came out of halftime swinging after consecutive slow starts.

In Game 4, he racked up 11 points in the third quarter on perfect shooting.

Two nights later, he drew two quick fouls on Paolo Banchero, sending the Magic star to the bench and allowing the Celtics to go on a massive run that turned a closeout Game 5 into a blowout.

“I’m usually one to throw the first punch, but my body didn’t feel great until the second half,” Brown explained.

But, when he finally did feel better, he changed the tenor of the game. Brown attacked the Magic defense mercily, driving to the basket at will, and subsequently hitting his free throws.

“They wanted to slow us down, and they wanted to force us in one-on-one matchups, so we had to make plays,” Brown said. “I think that’s what it just came down to. They were just daring me and JT, like, ‘Beat us one-on-one.’ And JT accepted it, and I accepted it, and we just made plays.”

Joe Mazzulla was impressed with Brown’s approach to the Magic.

“He’s just been tremendous in all areas,” Mazzulla said. “And again, he has the ability to take it to another level — mentally and physically.”

Jaylen Brown’s Celtics tenure has been filled with highs and lows

Brown was booed on Draft Night in 2016 when it was announced the Celtics had selected him with the third overall picks.

Then, there were the infamous 2022 trade rumors, when the Celtics reportedly offered to trade Brown (alongside Derrick White and a first-round pick) to the Brooklyn Nets for Kevin Durant.

This past February, Brown described those moments as “very, very challenging” in a Sports Illustrated interview.

“Things have not gone my way,” he said. “I haven’t been catered to, in a sense, which has made me stronger.”

There have also been undeniable highs, like his 2024 Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP trophies, the Celtics’ 18th championship, and the big-time stops and shots he hit en route to the ultimate prize. The 2023-24 season was one of Brown’s best yet, and he finished it atop of the basketball world.

This past season, the four-time All-Star faced bouts of adversity. He was limited to 63 games, his fewest since 2021 — missing time with a hip injury before beginning a multi-month ordeal with what the Celtics have described as a right knee bone bruise. On top of that, he had his worst three-point shooting season of his career, hitting just 32.4% of attempts.

But, when the Celtics needed him most, Brown went to war.

“He’s been intentional in every area of the game,” Mazzulla said. “I think once he got healthy to start off the series, his defense is back to where it was throughout the season. And just his playmaking… he does a great job of getting to his spot, getting the shot that he wants, or getting it for his teammates.”

Defeating the Magic marked Brown’s 17th playoff series victory as a Celtic

Brown smiled when informed after Game 5 that at age 27, he had already tied Tommy Heinson’s total playoff series wins in Boston.

“I don’t take none of it for granted,” he said. “This is my ninth season, and ninth playoff run. So, I don’t take any of this for granted. To be able to be in the midst of some of the most winningest players in his franchise, with a lot of upside still in front of me, I’m very grateful. So, I’m excited to move on to the next round. I’m excited to keep adding to that legacy here in Boston.”

He knows what Boston is about: championships, not first-round victories.

Legacy-defining moments typically come in the Finals; Brown’s clutch midrange in Game 3 against the Dallas Mavericks is on that will live on forever, as will his myriad of steals against Luka Doncic.

“It’s about winning,” he said. “It’s not about just getting that in the first round. So, I’m looking forward to advancing. It’s the playoffs, and this is what it’s all about.”

Jayson Tatum was the Celtics’ MVP of round one, pouring in more than 35 points in each of the series’ final three games.

Still, there was something special about watching Brown persevere to give the Celtics the best chance at advancing.

To see him wiggle his fingers after dislocating his index finger after a Cole Anthony flagrant foul, only to point out he still has nine fingers that work.

To watch him play elite defense despite battling what appears to be significant pain, to see him wince as he walked off the podium after each game, only to run it back 48 hours later.

The first round of the 2024-25 playoffs wasn’t Brown’s legacy-defining moment, because that legacy has already been defined.

But, when Brown’s story is told in totality, it’ll be these moments of toughness and sacrifice that’ll help cement his place among the Celtics’ greats — even if those came in April.