LOS ANGELES — The storied rivalry between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers usually finds its heat in the banners, but Sunday night, it was fueled by a masterclass from Jaylen Brown. In a 111-89 dismantling of the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena, Brown didn’t just lead the Celtics to their 37th win; he forced the greatest player of this generation to call out the league’s award voters.
With the Celtics navigating the 2025-26 season without Jayson Tatum—who remains sidelined following a ruptured Achilles last May—Brown has ascended to a different stratosphere. He finished the night with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists, punishing a Lakers defense that looked two steps slow against the league’s premier two-way wing. Brown is currently averaging a career-high 29.2 points per game, a mark that has kept Boston firmly in second place in the Eastern Conference despite an offseason that saw the departure of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
The MVP Debate Ignites
After the final buzzer, LeBron James didn’t hold back when asked about Brown’s current trajectory. James, who has seen many MVP races turn into media narratives, was blunt about why the Celtics’ leading man isn’t getting more hardware hype. “I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about,” James said, leaning against the locker room wall. “He’s averaging 30? Yeah. It’s a popularity contest sometimes, I tell you.”
The respect between the two has evolved since 2016, when a rookie Brown received a whisper of encouragement from James. While a 2024 Summer League video once surfaced showing Brown questioning if Bronny James was “a pro,” LeBron dismissed any lingering tension Sunday night. “It’s all good,” James noted. “We’ve been all right.”
“I feel like I’m the best two-way player in the world. I play both ends of the court night to night. I’m available, which is hard to do. I’m a leader… Stuff that doesn’t always show up on the analytics. And I’m a winner.”
— Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics Wing
Filling the Tatum-Sized Void
The Celtics were supposed to slide. When Tatum went down in the 2025 playoffs against the Knicks, the “down year” predictions began immediately. Instead, Brown has embraced the alpha role with a ferocity that has redefined the team’s identity. He isn’t just scoring; he’s orchestrating. Sunday’s win showed a player comfortable with the gravity he draws, frequently finding open shooters when the Lakers’ double-teams arrived late.
With only 26 games left in the regular season, the Celtics are 37-19 and look every bit like a contender, even as they wait for news on Tatum’s potential late-season conditioning. Brown, however, isn’t looking for validation from the voters. He’s looking at the standings. “Don’t let the praise or the warmth or the criticism make or break you,” Brown told reporters. “Just come out and be Jaylen Brown.”
