In the days leading up to the Celtics' regular-season opener, Jaylen Brown's status for Boston's road matchup with the New York Knicks was very much uncertain.
By the time Wednesday rolled around, Brown only was one day removed from an extended quarantine period. The Celtics star was forced into isolation for a week and a half after he was diagnosed with COVID-19.
But Brown ultimately did take the floor at Madison Square Garden and put on one hell of a show, albeit in a Boston loss. After his career night, the sixth-year pro revealed what inspired him to battle through adversity, suit up and commit to a full-game effort.
"The reason why I wanted to play tonight was because I didn’t want to miss (Ime Udoka's) opening game," Brown told reporters, per Celtics.com's Taylor Snow. "I didn’t want to do that. I wanted to come out there and be there for our coach."
Brown and Co. will try to hand Udoka his first win as an NBA head coach Friday when the Celtics play their home opener against the Toronto Raptors.
