Jaylen Brown, much like the Boston Celtics collectively, is off to a red-hot start to his own 2022-23 campaign.
That’s paid pretty obvious dividends for the Celtics and their NBA-best 20-5 record before Wednesday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns.
Brown, 26, has recorded career-best numbers — 26.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, and a team-leading 50.4% shooting from the field — in making a convincing case for All-Star consideration this season. In fact, Brown not only believes that he’s proved himself to be an All-Star this season, he considers himself to have been an All-Star-caliber player his “whole life.”
“Am I an All-Star? I’ve been an All-Star my whole life,” Brown told Brandon Robinson of Bally Sports. “That’s something that in my mind — in terms of if you’re asking politically — or that’s up to the league and that’s in their hands. But I think it should be more exclusive in regards to the decision-making that goes into the process because, to be honest, we have no idea how we make it. We make it and then they say that there’s this large process, but the (players) union isn’t involved at all.
“So, as players and representatives of the organizations, I’ve been an All-Star my whole life, and nothing is going to change that if somebody is telling me that I’m an All-Star or somebody is telling me that I’m not an All-Star. I think that more players should look at it the same way. I put my values and representation in other people’s hands.”
In 2021, Brown notched his first career All-Star appearance and scored 22 points with five rebounds while playing for Team LeBron in a 170-150 victory over Jayson Tatum and Team Durant.
“Obviously, it’s a tremendous accolade to be acknowledged as being the best of the best, which I think I am and who I am,” Brown said. “If I don’t get recognition, it’s OK. I’ll keep going and pushing. That’s how life is sometimes.”
In his last seven games, Brown has recorded a positive plus-minus while scoring no less than 22 points and shooting over 45% in all but one game. In three games in December, he has averaged 31 points and 10.7 rebounds for the Celtics.
