The league's top two-way player! Brown confidently makes bold claims sparking heated debate—should he be included in the MVP conversation?

On January 1st Beijing time, Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown boldly declared that no one in the league rivals his influence on both ends of the court. "The league's best two-way player," Brown posted on social media, stirring considerable fan debate.

Tatum remains sidelined recovering from his Achilles injury, while Brown has emerged as the Celtics’ top scorer this season with standout play. Currently, Brown ranks sixth in the league scoring with an average of 29.5 points per game, shooting a career-high 50.5% from the field and 37.0% from beyond the arc. He also contributes 6.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.2 steals per game, helping Boston hold third place in the Eastern Conference with a 20-12 record.

Although considering defensive stars like the Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo and Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, Brown’s statement is quite bold, yet in his tenth season with Boston, his defensive performance remains highly effective.

According to NBA official data, opponents shooting against Brown this season have a field goal percentage of only 42.6%, ranking first among Celtics players who have appeared in at least 15 games.

It’s easy to imagine that this 27-year-old could make his second career NBA All-Defensive Team by the end of the 2025-26 season. Should he be considered in the MVP discussion? At least Celtics legend Paul Pierce thinks so.

Pierce spoke about Jaylen Brown on a podcast: "Everyone hates the Celtics. We all know that. So why isn’t he in the MVP conversation? With Tatum out, nobody expected the Celtics to be third in the East. This guy is consistently scoring 30 points." Before scoring 23 against the Jazz, Brown had nine straight games with 30+ points.