Jaylen Brown spent a decade owning the court in Boston, snagging five All-Star nods and even a Finals MVP in 2024. Now he is a Philadelphia 76er, and even two preseason clashes with his old team can not just wipe away those ten years of history. After being sent to the Sixers in the offseason, Brown has already faced the Boston Celtics twice this preseason, once at TD Garden and most recently on Friday at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Those 10 Years Aren’t Just Going to Disappear
Think about that: 10 seasons, starting as the No. 3 pick of the 2016 draft, averaging 20.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. That is a lifetime in the league, a career’s worth of moments, memories, and blood, sweat, and tears. Brown himself knows it is not something you just shake off. “I am not sure how to answer that,” Brown pondered about easing the emotions before his real return to Boston on Jan. 21. “I played there for 10 years, so it will never be ‘out of the way,’ you know what I mean? But it was good to see some of the young guys. Spent a lot of time with those guys. To see them develop and getting better is good to see.” Sure, it was preseason, and it helps to get some of those initial emotions out, but a decade of history does not just vanish because of a couple of exhibition games. His true homecoming on Jan. 21 is going to be something else entirely, and how he handles that will be key.
Championship Aspirations and the Road Ahead
Brown already knows what it takes to win a championship, having led the Celtics to one in 2024 and earning that Finals MVP trophy. Now, the Sixers are looking for him to bring that championship DNA to Philly, and the team believes they can do the same thing this upcoming season. Brown is all in on that goal, but he is also realistic about where the Sixers stand right now. “We are excited, but we also know we gotta get better,” Brown said of his new squad. “We are not where we wanna be right now. We are happy we had a good preseason. We had good training camp. We are building habits. We set the rules for ourselves, accountability. But it is gonna take some time. Hopefully on the shorter end, but we are not where we want to be yet. That is just a part of it. It is a part of coming together, a new group with a bunch of guys, different style. But we have just got to keep getting better every day.”
The Sixers are ready to hit the ground running. They will take on the New York Knicks on opening night this Tuesday. All eyes will be on Brown and how quickly this “new group with a bunch of guys” can gel to start building those championship habits.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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