Jaylen Brown opened up about the emotions he experienced after reportedly being traded by the Boston Celtics, explaining that he believed his performance during the previous season had earned him at least another year with the franchise.
Brown said the move caught him by surprise, particularly because he felt he had delivered the best season of his career while helping Boston remain competitive during Jayson Tatum’s absence.
JB: “It’s just been a crazy summer, ’cause I wasn’t expecting it. I wasn’t expecting to get traded, even though it’s always a possibility, right?”
The former Celtics forward pointed to his individual performance and the recognition received by the organization as reasons he believed the team would remain together.
“But I’m just coming off my best year. I definitely wasn’t expecting, as an MVP candidate. [We had] Coach got Coach of the Year, got Front Office of the Year.”
Lil Baby: “Everything.”
Brown explained that the combination of individual and organizational success had convinced him that major changes were unlikely, at least in the immediate future.
JB: “No, they ain’t never got that before, right? So I’m thinking like everything, at least for another year, it should have been cool.”
The 2024 NBA Finals MVP then described his initial reaction to learning about the trade, admitting that he struggled to process the news.
“I feel like I went through a bunch of phases of my emotions. Like first I was pissed off. First threw my phone across the room…”
However, Brown said his feelings changed repeatedly over the following months. After initially becoming angry, he began distancing himself emotionally from the situation before eventually feeling excited about what was ahead.
That optimism did not remain constant, particularly when he returned to Boston and reflected on his departure.
“Then I kind of was detached from the situation. I got excited after that. Then I came back to Boston. When I was traveling, I got sad again, and now I’m just ready.”
Brown acknowledged that coming to terms with the move had been a gradual process rather than an immediate adjustment.
“So I just feel like I went through so many different phases over the last couple months.”
