Jaylen Brown reacts to LeBron James making his MVP case for him

LeBron James expressed strong support for Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown as a candidate for NBA MVP after the Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-89 on Sunday at Cripto.com Arena.

Brown led the way with 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 36 minutes. He came close to a triple-double while leading a Boston team that has been without Jayson Tatum since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on May 12, 2025 because of a torn Achilles.

After the game, James asked why Brown’s name doesn’t come up more often in MVP conversations. He pointed out that Brown is averaging about 30 points per game and suggested that MVP discussions can sometimes turn into a popularity contest.

“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name isn’t being talked about as well,” James said of Brown after Sunday’s game. “Like, nobody gave them a chance to start the season. And he’s averaging 30? A little under 30? It’s a popularity contest sometimes, I tell you.”

Brown later responded to the praise after the game while talking to reporters. He insisted on leaving out both criticism and praise, although he declared for the award in his own way.

“I feel like I’m the best two-way player in the world,” Brown said. “I play both ends of the court. Night to night, I’m available, which is hard to do. I’m a leader. I help lead my team, empower my team to come out and play with confidence, things that don’t always show up in the analytics. And I’m a winner. I go out and try to win every night. So I’m grateful.”

Jailen Brown that @ramonashelburne on LeBron James talking about Brown’s MVP case after the Celtics beat the Lakers:

“Just come in with the same mentality I’ve had since day one. Don’t let the praise, warmth or criticism make or break you. Just go out there and be Jaylen… pic.twitter.com/bCN0IofO70

— Bobby Krivitski (@BobbiKrivitski) February 23, 2026

He called it an honor to be recognized by James, who he described as possibly the best player ever. Brown, who won the 2024 Finals MVP after averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, said he feels grateful every day.

“It’s an honor to play the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. It’s an honor for LeBron, who’s probably the best player to ever play the game, giving me a big shout out. So, I’m just grateful. I wake up every morning grateful (and) humbled.”

Even without Tatum and after trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in the offseasonBoston is 37-19 and second in the East. What many thought would be a reset has turned into a serious run at the conference crown.

Brown is a big reason for that. He ranks fourth in the NBA in scoring at 29.2 points per game and also has career averages of 7.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Brown is fourth in the league in scoring this season.

Meanwhile, Shai Giljus-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, the last two MVP winners, largely control the MVP conversation.

There are plenty of games left, and the MVP race is far from decided. The door isn’t closed, but Brown still has ground to cover if he wants to open it.