Celtics wing Jaylen Brown was named the Most Valuable Player of the Eastern Conference Finals, winning the Larry Bird trophy for 2024, the NBA announced (via Twitter).
Brown narrowly edged out teammate Jayson Tatum, who earned four of nine votes from media members for the honor at the conclusion of Boston’s 4-0 sweep over the Pacers. Brown received the other five votes (Twitter link).
“I wasn’t expecting that at all,” Brown said of the award, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I don’t ever win s–t. I was just happy we won.”
Brown scored at least 24 points in all four games of the series, including 40 in last Thursday’s Game 2 win and 29 in Monday’s close-out victory. He averaged 29.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.0 steals in 40.9 minutes per game vs. Indiana, making 51.7% of his shot attempts from the field, including 37.0% of his three-pointers.
“He was unreal this whole series, a complete player on both sides of the ball that you don’t really see much these days,” teammate Derrick White said, according to Vardon.
The NBA instituted MVP awards for the conference finals just three years ago, naming the trophies after Bird in the East and Magic Johnson in the West. Tatum was the first ever Eastern Conference Finals MVP in 2022, while Heat star Jimmy Butler took home the honor last spring.