Jaylen Brown is not seen as a frontrunner in the NBA MVP race, but that has not stopped him from making his case to win the award. Unfortunately for him, nobody is buying it.
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne asked Brown in an interview if he thinks he should be the MVP this year. Brown’s response was not exactly convincing.
“Analytically, probably not, honestly,”Brown said. “But I put my blood, sweat, and tears into this season on the court, from a performance standpoint. Doing what my team needs me to do on both ends of the court, and also from a leadership standpoint, galvanizing guys, getting everyone on the same page in the midst of uncertainty to help keep us in contention at the top of the league. Analytics don’t quantify who I am and who my spirit is.”
Jaylen Brown on whether he believes he's the MVP:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 9, 2026
"Analytically probably not…the analytics don't quantify who I am and who my spirit is" pic.twitter.com/HM2xF5CHX9
That reasoning did not land, and Brown was mocked for what many saw as a desperate argument.
I’m using this quote if I do bad on an exam https://t.co/zmOzmT45su
— Pranav Sriraman (@PranavSriraman) April 9, 2026
This gotta be the worst mvp case of all time. https://t.co/LEZSYZknDi
— 𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐲 (@_shayza) April 9, 2026
So am i eligible to be voted MVP? Cause in spirit i really am the best
— Nikola Nedeljković (@NoLimitsNBA) April 9, 2026
We’re taking personality and spirit into mvp now!
— Jacob (@jgutierrez357) April 9, 2026
Brown has been great all season. He is averaging 28.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game for the Celtics, and kept them near the top of the Eastern Conference even with Jayson Tatum missing the bulk of the season. However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is still seen as the leader in the MVP race due to his scoring prowess on the league’s best team.
Whatever the case, Brown can take solace in the fact that at least one person seems to be backing him for MVP. He will not win, though, and he seems to know it.
