The Boston Celtics clinched the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with their win over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, and they did so while being led by Jaylen Brown.
Boston entered the matchup shorthanded, electing to play a lineup without Jayson Tatum, Al Horford and Marcus Smart as it looks to get rested up before the playoffs begin on April 15. That thrust Brown into the lead role, where he thrived once again and led the Celtics with 25 points and 11 rebounds.
In clinching the second seed, the Celtics put themselves on track to have homecourt advantage in any series they don't match up with the Milwaukee Bucks. That much was enough for Brown to admit that this season is something for Boston to be proud of.
"Absolutely," Brown told reporters postgame. "You can't take stuff like that for granted. To be on a 50-plus-win team is an honor. It takes a lot of hard work that goes into that. It doesn't come around as often as you probably think it does and to be able to be a part of it -- it's a blessing, for sure, to be a part of a winning organization. To add to it and to come out each and every night and play with purpose, absolutely it's great."
The 26-year-old hasn't had the smoothest-sailing of seasons in 2023, as his commitment to Boston has been brought into question by sources outside the organization pretty routinely. The Celtics, however, have committed to Brown fully, and continued to do so prior to Wednesday's game.
The Celtics named Brown their 2023 Red Auerbach Award recipient, which is awarded to the player that exemplifies passion, determination, and leadership throughout the season.
"I think Red Auerbach had a vision for this organization," Brown said after the game. "So many years later, to see that vision being maintained, I think is amazing and I'm grateful to be a part of it. Especially when you are highlighting things that necessarily don't have to do with stats or analytics.
"Leadership, on or off the floor -- receiving an award for something that you don't necessarily see some type of value for, that doesn't show up in the stat sheet, I appreciate stuff like that. I've put my everything into this team, I've put my everything into this city, into this organization since I've been here. To get that award, I thought meant a lot. I was grateful."
Though the last few months have led to those aforementioned questions regarding Brown's future in Boston, his statements following the win might be enough to ease the minds of most Celtics fans.
