LeBron James expressed strong support for Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown as an NBA MVP candidate after the Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 111-89 on Sunday at Crypto.com Arena.
Brown led the way with 32 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in 36 minutes. He came close to a triple-double while guiding a Boston team that had been without Jayson Tatum due to a torn Achilles since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals on May 12, 2025.
After the game, James questioned why Brown's name is not mentioned more often in the MVP conversation. He pointed out that Brown is averaging around 30 points per game and suggested that the MVP discussion can sometimes turn into a popularity contest.
"With this whole MVP thing, I don't understand why his name isn't even being discussed," James said of Brown after Sunday's game. "Like, nobody gave him a chance to start the season. And what's his average, 30? Just under 30? It's a popularity contest sometimes, I'll tell you."
Brown later returned the praise while speaking to reporters after the game. He stressed that he was interested in both criticism and praise, although he presented his case for the award in his own way.
"I feel like I'm the best two-way player in the world," Brown said. "I play on both ends of the court. I'm available night in and night out, which is hard to do. I'm a leader. I help lead my team, empower my team to come out and play with confidence, things that don't always show up on analytics. And I'm a winner. I come out and try to win every night. So I'm grateful."
to jaylen brown @ramonashelburne LeBron talks about James Brown's MVP case after the Celtics' win over the Lakers:
"Just come with the same mentality I've had since day one. Don't let the praise or warmth or criticism make or break you. Just come out and be Jaylen... pic.twitter.com/bCN0IofO70
- Bobby Krivitsky (@BobbyKrivitsky) 23 February 2026
He called it an honor to receive recognition from James, whom he described as arguably the best player of all time. Brown, who won Finals MVP in 2024 after averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, said he feels grateful every day.
"It's an honor to play in the Celtics-Lakers rivalry. It's an honor to have LeBron, who is arguably the best player to play the game, give me a lot of praise. So, I'm just grateful. I wake up every morning and am grateful (and) humbled."
Even without Tatum and after trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis in the offseason, Boston is 37-19 and in second place in the East. What many thought would be a reset has turned into a serious race for the conference crown.
Brown is a big reason for that. He ranks fourth in the NBA with 29.2 points per game, while he has career averages of 7.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Brown is fourth in the league in scoring this season.
Meanwhile, the last two MVP winners, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, have largely controlled the MVP conversation.
There are plenty of games left, and the MVP race is almost certain. The door isn't locked, but Brown still has ground to cover if he wants to kick it open.
