NBA fans react to Jaylen Brown receiving yet another major honor over Jayson Tatum: "Ain't even Top 20"

Jaylen Brown had a year to remember in 2024. He won his first championship last June with the Boston Celtics, while also being named the Finals MVP ahead of star teammate Jayson Tatum in his second NBA Finals appearance.

Brown averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in the Finals while offering himself to be the primary defender of the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic throughout the championship series. The Celtics finished off the Mavericks in five games, capping off a dominant run last season.

With his accomplishments this year, Brown earned Sports Illustrated’s Player of the Year award, as shared by by analyst Chris Mannix.

However, fans chose to scrutinize the 28-year-old Brown, discrediting his achievements despite being one of the most overlooked stars in the NBA.

“Lmfao, this f***in bum Man aint even top 20,” one fan said.

“One fmvp and they treating him like this,” another fan said.

“Is this a joke? 😂,” a fan wrote.

Jaylen Brown supporters came to the defense of the Celtics star, citing that the team and Tatum would not win a title without him.

“Say what you want but Jaylen Brown is the reason Celtics won the NBA championship. Without him Tatum won’t have a ring,” one fan said.

“Bro won a championship with that Tatum bum. Deserves his flowers,” said another fan.

“Finals MVP, ECF MVP, first-time champion. It is the right choice,” another fan wrote.

Aside from his on-court accolades, the SI Player of the Year award also recognizes a player’s off-court accomplishments, especially in the civic society aspect.

One of Brown’s civic initiatives cited was his “Boston Xchange” project, which aims to provide fair opportunities for a diverse population in Boston and to provide $5 billion worth of generational wealth to people of color in the city.

Jaylen Brown says he is more aggressive on the court without Jayson Tatum

The Celtics lost to the Orlando Magic on December 23 without Jayson Tatum. In that game, Brown took over with 35 points and nine rebounds, but it went for naught in the defeat.

After the game, Brown explained that Tatum’s absence allowed him to be more aggressive on the court.

“It just allowed me to be more aggressive and comfortable,” Jaylen Brown said on Tatum missing the game. “But obviously, JT [Jayson Tatum] is a big part of our offense.”

While Tatum remains the team’s leading scorer, Brown has produced impressive numbers, averaging 23.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.3 steals per game.

The Celtics currently stand at the second seed in the Eastern Conference with a 22-8 record after losing two straight games, including their Christmas Day showdown against the Philadelphia 76ers. With their star duo, the Celtics are still one of the favorites to win the NBA title.