After years of evading rumors, we’ve finally seen the trade to end the Jays Era

It’s Game 7, and the Celtics are playing small. 

No Jayson Tatum for the night, a DNP for Nikola Vucevic, and Jaylen Brown is on the block with a posted-up Joel Embiid. 

And this wasn’t some small ball hard trap. Jaylen Brown is on an island with a 280-pound former MVP. With nine minutes left in the third quarter, a brief dig from Baylor Scheierman is slight help, but Embiid is unbothered. Easy bucket. 

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Three minutes later, it’s truly an island. Near the high post, Brown slaps his hands together hard, and swipes furiously as Embiid jab steps and drives into another hook shot. Two more points. 

They met inside two more times in the fourth quarter. Of course Philly wants that matchup every time. It hasn’t failed. The first time, Brown does everything possible to prevent the entry pass, but Embiid successfully gets the inside edge, and as he’s about to go up for another easy bucket, in comes Brown, swatting the ball off the backboard into the hands of Derrick White. 

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It happens again in clutch time in a 1-point game. Embiid is backing down Brown on the low block, but the smaller Brown is standing his ground. Embiid can’t reach the restricted area and settles for a hook shot that barely reaches the front rim (Neemias Queta actually did help late this time, but it’s Brown’s stop). 

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We didn’t know it then, but it’s the last game of Brown’s 10-year Celtics run, and the bridge that leads to him joining one of Boston’s most historic rivals, a team that has played a part in Brown’s own playoff legacy as a Celtic. 

We have now seen the full picture of Jaylen Brown’s Celtics career. Brown went to war for Boston, just like he said he promised on his draft night. Even if it often meant failure on the biggest stages, even if it meant the brunt of the blame alongside Jayson Tatum as the duo that couldn’t work together. Even if he’s left completely alone on a ginormous elite scorer in a Game 7. Jaylen Brown is never afraid of the moment, and all the consequences that come with it. 

On the night confetti rained down on the Garden as the Celtics captured their first NBA title since…

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Publish date : 2026-07-02 09:25:00

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