CAMBRIDGE — Nearly every week this summer, Jaylen Brown has hosted some sort of community event.
He’s held 741 Performance pop-ups outside of TD Garden, spent time at a Juneteenth celebration in Dorchester, and organized a Canobie Lake Park meet-and-greet in New Hampshire.
He’s surprised hundreds of kids at Roxbury schools, who erupted upon his unexpected arrival.
Last week, he hosted his week-long Bridge camp at MIT for high schoolers from the Boston area as part of the immersive educational program he’s been running since 2021.
But, for Brown, these events aren’t just a service to his community.
They are a therapeutic part of his Boston journey, one that has had well-chronicled ups and downs.
“It’s just as warming to me as it is to them,” Brown told me last week of these encounters. “It’s very, very mutual. The narrative is that I’m giving so much, but it’s so much they’re giving me as well.”
The vibrant support from the community this summer carries extra significance, in part because Brown’s tenure with the Celtics hasn’t always been smooth sailing.
“It’s been a long journey here in Boston,” Brown said. “I’ve had to deal with a lot. I feel like I haven’t been able to be myself in certain capacities — because of the politics, and because maybe people feel uncomfortable with who I am.”
On the court, Brown has felt he’s made sacrifices and altered his game in ways that he hasn’t always agreed with.
“I disagree with a lot of things,” he said. “I’ve had to change roles, styles. I’ve had to do things that other players of my talent just haven’t had to do, and I’ve been okay with them, because I’ve always been a team guy. I feel like sometimes that gets taken for granted.”
At the same time, he recognizes that all of it — the good and the bad — ultimately culminated in what’s long been his primary goal: Banner 18.
“I’m extremely grateful that we won a championship,” Brown said. “I’m extremely grateful that we’ve been able to have success, and that’s what it’s about. It’s not all about you, it’s not all about me, you know what I mean? I want the next generation to know that as well — it’s okay to play your role on the team. It’s okay to do whatever, but don’t let that define you.”
Jaylen Brown’s time with Celtics fans this summer has been uplifting
When Brown is at a pop-up, and he sees a never-ending line of Celtics fans decked out in his No. 7 jersey, he reflects on some of the more difficult moments.
And oftentimes, he recognizes almost every face.
“These people have become my friends now,” Brown said, pointing to the dozens of people who show up hours early to nearly every event he participates in.
“I’m different. I’ve done different things, pissed people off, made people not like me, things like that. I appreciate those who show up. We have people show up in the rain. That is very appreciated by me.”
Jaylen Brown is signing 741 merch here outside of TD Garden for fans, many of whom have been waiting to meet him since the AM pic.twitter.com/6knWm9nM4w
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) May 24, 2025
Brown thinks about those diehard fans as he gets in his early-morning rehab, as he hones his basketball skillset, and as he plays through pain.
“They’re part of the reason why you can never give up, because it’s disrespect to people that really, really, really believe in you,” he said.
“I appreciate them so much. They show up everywhere. They love the fact that I do stuff outside of [basketball], and that’s what you’re supposed to be about. Some people hate that I do that stuff, which is weird to me, but that’s the reality of the world that we live in. People just wish I would just play basketball instead of trying to help people in my community. I would never understand those people. But the people that show up are the people that I appreciate. They get it.”
Brown admittedly didn’t expect this summer to become the immersive, connected community experience it’s been. But after the Celtics were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2021 season, he found himself with more time on his hands than usual.
“I was expecting to go back-to-back and win a championship, but that didn’t happen,” Brown said. “So, we had a little extra time. I had surgery, which I wasn’t expecting either. That kind of became a reality toward the end of the season, so rehab and stuff kept me here.”
In hindsight, though an early elimination and offseason surgery were far from ideal circumstances, Brown feels he’s made the most of the cards he was dealt.
And, connecting with his most fervent and loyal supporters has been a massive source of joy.
“It’s been great,” he said. “I’ve had so much fun every single week, seeing even some of the same people over and over, and meeting new people. It’s been awesome.”
He appreciates that the same fans who line up in the extreme weather are probably some of the ones who fight for him online. Now, he knows them on a much deeper level.
“I don’t really fight for myself,” Brown said. “You don’t really see me go and disagree, or [say] what I actually feel and see and think — especially from a basketball perspective. I just kind of — whatever the team wants, whatever people need me to do, I’ve done.”
Brown sees the discourse around him, but said he’s typically reluctant to contribute or to dispel narratives he doesn’t agree with.
“I don’t really say a lot,” Brown said. “I just say the least possible, because I don’t want somebody to take my words, and go into a different direction, which is very, very popular through the media, especially in Boston.”
Brown is looking forward to the upcoming Celtics season
The night the Celtics were eliminated by the Knicks, the Celtics’ star addressed fans at the Madison Square Garden podium. Tatum had torn his Achilles just days before, and the mood was unsurprisingly somber.
“I know Boston — it looks gloomy right now, obviously with JT being out, and us ending the year, but it’s a lot to look forward to,” Brown said then. “I want the city to feel excited about that. This is not the end.”
When Brown made those remarks in mid-May, it wasn’t certain who would be on the team next season. For a moment, the status of nearly every player on the roster appeared up in the air — even his name circulated in trade rumors. And while the Celtics’ offseason isn’t officially over, the team’s roster is already dramatically different from last season’s.
At minimum, the Celtics will be without Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet – all of whom have formally departed this offseason. They will likely also be without Al Horford, who is reportedly expected to sign with the Golden State Warriors, and Jayson Tatum, who is expected to miss most, if not all, of the year recovering from his injury.
On the outside, many have described this upcoming season as a “rebuilding” or “retooling” season. The championship expectations that the franchise has faced for years are on a brief hiatus.
Still, there’s an undeniably strong core that the Celtics are poised to bring into the future. On Draft Night, Brad Stevens named Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard as foundational pieces on the roster, alongside Tatum. All three players could be due for a leap forward in their game next year.
Sam Hauser, whose name has also floated around in trade rumors, is another carryover from the championship rotation.
Asked Brad Stevens, amid the uncertainty, what he does expect from next year’s roster:
“We’ve got the foundation. With Jaylen and Jayson and D-White and Payton and all those guys that a lot of teams love to have.” pic.twitter.com/VJrtKJSyeo
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) June 26, 2025
But, how the less proven frontcourt trio will fare remains an open question, with Stevens quipping, “We’re going to find out, right?” when asked about the big-man rotation last week, while subsequently expressing confidence in the potential of Neemias Queta, Luka Garza, and Amari Williams.
For the Celtics to exceed expectations, someone will have to anchor that more uncertain frontcourt. Additionally, Pritchard, who is fresh off a Sixth Man of the Year and his best-ever shooting season, will likely have to continue to up his game.
Above all, for the Celtics to surprise the basketball world, Brown will almost inevitably have to put together a career year. Last year, as he battled his first significant knee injury, his efficiency dropped substantially during the regular season. That came just a few months after the peak of his basketball career, when he was named both Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP.
Next season, Brown feels up to the task to lead a Celtics roster that most people have counted out.
“I feel like I’m very talented,” Brown said. “I’m one of the talented people in this league, on this planet, I feel like. I’m looking forward to showing the world more.”
