Jaylen Brown has grateful reaction to making Celtics history vs. Warriors

BOSTON — When Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown held the Bill Russell Trophy high over his head after becoming the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, his place in franchise history was cemented. The longest-tenured Celtic just elevated his spot though, as he moved into 10th on the Green Team’s all-time scoring list on Wednesday night during a 120-99 win over the Golden State Warriors.

In the second quarter, Brown netted two free throws to pass Celtics great and 1973 MVP Dave Cowens on the legendary leaderboard. The five-time All-Star now has 13,202 points over 10 seasons with the Celtics and trails fellow star Jayson Tatum by 705 points. The player directly in front of the Celtics’ terrific tandem is an almost mythical one: 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell.

“I’m very grateful,” Brown said in the locker room following his impressive milestone. “A lot of legends on that list who made big contributions to the Celtics, but also to the game of basketball. So I’m very humbled and very grateful to be in the position I’m in.”

Jaylen Brown on entering the top-10 scoring list for the Celtics:

“I'm very grateful. A lot of legends on that list made big contributions to the Celtics, but also to the to the game of basketball.” pic.twitter.com/f49h93xmHL

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) March 19, 2026

Brown couldn’t miss to start the game, hitting jumper after jumper at TD Garden against an undermanned Warriors squad that looked helpless. Although the Dubs — who were without four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry due to a knee injury — tried to make it a contest, Brown and Tatum always had answers on offense. They combined for 56 points (a game-high 32 points from Brown and 24 points from Tatum) in the blowout while no Warrior scored over 14.

“It just goes to show the dedication and the commitment that he’s made to his craft and getting better every single year,” Tatum said of Brown’s historic outing. “I’ve seen him the last nine years develop and just get better each and every year and turn into the player he is now. It’s just cool when you get rewarded for the work that you put in.”

During Tatum’s 62-game absence this regular season, which was the result of a diligent rehab process from an Achilles rupture, Brown led the way for the shorthanded C’s. He averaged career-highs practically across the board and has continued that since Tatum’s return on March 6.

With both Tatum and Brown starting this season, the Celtics are 5-1 and winners of three in a row. And it’s no surprise that the same dynamic duo that powered Boston to a championship in 2024 is aiming to do so again in 2026.

“You don’t take for granted being able to coach some of the best players in the game today, but some of the best players of all time,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said of working with Tatum and Brown. “So [there’s] gratitude on my part, just being able to watch that.”

To put this in perspective, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown would already be the all-time leading scorers of the Magic, Pelicans, Grizzlies, Clippers, Hornets, and Nets. https://t.co/FfBXc5rb5l

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) March 19, 2026

What Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum achieved needs to be remembered

Even though the 46-23 Celtics are generally used to winning, what Tatum and Brown have accomplished together is special. They’d be the all-time scoring leaders of six other NBA franchises at the moment and have more playoff wins than a multitude of teams.

Moreover, they represent the Celtics well and are devoted to Boston.

Tatum showed his commitment this season off the court by attacking his grueling rehab every day, eventually culminating in a triumphant comeback that was far ahead of schedule. Meanwhile, Brown has demonstrated his dedication more on the court lately, putting together an MVP-caliber campaign when many pundits expected him to fail as part of a seemingly flawed roster.

“For Jaylen, I think the responsibility and ownership of taking on being a Celtic and going after greatness is extremely important, it’s something that he takes very serious,” Mazzulla replied when asked about Brown entering the upper echelon of Celtics scorers. “The ability to make history and get into that is the stepping stone of leaving [the franchise] better than you found it.”

There’s no doubt that Tatum and Brown have changed the Celtics organization for the better, but that doesn’t mean they’re satisfied. They want more, and “more” comes in the form of a second championship ring this June.

“I felt like I could always be one of the top players in the world if given the opportunity and I feel like I got to display that this season,” Brown said after dropping 41 points on the Phoenix Suns on Monday night. “Now the focus is to get ready for the playoffs.”

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