The All-NBA teams were announced on Wednesday, and among the most notable absentees was the owner of the league’s largest contract: Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown.
Brown enjoyed a strong season for the Celtics, who owned the NBA’s best record at season’s end, averaging 23.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game, but it wasn’t enough to land him All-NBA honors for a second consecutive season.
That didn’t seem to bother him too much amid Boston’s pursuit of a championship, as he stepped up and delivered a 40-point outing in the Game 2 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
After the game, Brown was asked about the All-NBA snub and he didn’t mince words when indicating that he was fully focused on the task at hand, rather than individual accolades.
“We’re two games from the Finals, so I don’t have the time to give a f––,” said Brown, via Noa Dalzell of SB Nation.
Jaylen Brown on not making All NBA:
“We’re two games from the Finals, so I don’t have the time to give a fuck.” pic.twitter.com/vBJkWo14mO
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzellNBA) May 24, 2024
Since Brown entered the league in 2016–17, the Celtics have been to the Eastern Conference Finals six times, including this year. They’ve advanced to the NBA Finals just once, and have yet to win a championship with the current core.
Up 2–0 against the Pacers, they’ll have a good chance of reaching the Finals again this year, and Brown made clear that he’s fully honed in on that goal.
Financially speaking, Brown, who signed a five-year supermax deal worth over $286 million, stands to miss out on a $2.2 million after not making the All-NBA team, but according to Keith Smith of Spotrac, he would earn that bonus back if Boston reaches the NBA Finals.
