The Boston Celtics were in dire straits ahead of the 2025-26 season as they traded away some of their stalwarts while Jayson Tatum was expected to miss the majority of the campaign after rupturing his Achilles tendon in the playoffs last season. So the onus was on Jaylen Brown to marshal this team to safer shores in what was termed a ‘gap year’. Brown, who was dealing with his own issues with his meniscus, was ready by the start of the season and led by example. However, his mother, Michelle Brown, sheds light on all the challenges that he had to conquer before guiding the Cs to the second seed in the East.
Recently, in an interview with ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Michelle Brown shared the mental toll that the Celtics star faced during his recovery phase following his surgery to repair his meniscus tear. “He was strategizing,” she said. “He’s always needed space to think things through. In his mind, everything was taken away from him, meaning the team. But what I kept saying to him was, ‘These guys are all already in the league, which means they can play ball. They have been drafted, so they are talented. You just have to lead them.”
That boost from his mother surely gave him a lot of confidence as he was in rehabilitation and also planning how to lead this young roster to a certain level expected of them, given their record in the last few seasons. But Brown was too hard on himself, as his mother suggested that sometimes he needed to allow his body to rejuvenate. “That’s what men think,” she added, laughing. “You’re not weak. You’re just getting better after surgery. It’s just like a car. You have to go get maintenance to get better. So get your tune-up, get your maintenance, and come back even better and stronger.”
Before the season, it was widely assumed that the Celtics were Jayson Tatum’s team, with Brown playing second fiddle, but the 29-year-old has completely silenced his critics with a career year in the NBA. With the absence of several critical stars, his usage increased, and he took full advantage of it. So much so that, despite their gap year, the Cs have more than 50 wins this season.
“I feel like when my back is against the wall and the world is against [me], that’s when you get the best version of me,” he said. “That’s where you get the chance to see what you’re made of.” That’s what happened for Brown as he delivered a season in which he has been in the MVP conversation. He has averaged 28.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game while shooting 47.6% from the field across 70 appearances this season. He has been the fulcrum of this Celtics team that has punched way above their weight, and a lot of that credit goes to Brown and his leadership, as he left no stone unturned in bringing the best out of his teammates.
Jaylen Brown reveals bizarre strategy he used to maximize the best out of his Celtics teammates
Although Jaylen Brown was a vital cog for the Boston Celtics in their championship-winning season and also won the Finals MVP, the narrative that he is the number two for the Celtics kept running until this season. The 2025-26 season came as a boon for Brown as he shut his haters down with aplomb.
Jaylen Brown on how he used astrology and numerology to lead the Celtics to the No. 2 seed this season
“I learned more about Chinese astrology. I learned more about numerology, life path numbers. I made a chart of all my teammates. I know it sounds weird, and it’s probably a… pic.twitter.com/z21titvViC
— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) April 9, 2026
During the interview with ESPN, the 29-year-old revealed that he did a lot of reading and meditation to prepare himself for a leadership role. Adding to that, he also read astronomical charts of his teammates to develop an understanding of their mindset. “If it only worked 10 percent, it’s worth it to me. I think it is a lot more effective than 10%, though,” Brown said, per Shelburne. “I learned more about Chinese astrology. I learned more about numerology, life path numbers. I made a chart of all my teammates. I know it sounds weird, and it’s probably a little controversial because people have their beliefs. But the s— worked.”
While people may have their opinions and religious beliefs about astronomical charts, as long as it worked out for Brown and the Celtics. The 29-year-old was seeking to gain confidence in the locker room in Tatum’s absence, and he did everything that he could to bring success to the team.
The synergy around the team was super positive throughout the season, even when there was a lot of negativity in the media, calling this a ‘gap year’ and the Celtics going through a ‘rebuilding phase’. In addition to Brown, the Celtics have had key contributions from Payton Pritchard and Derrick White, along with center Neemias Queta, long enough to see Tatum return ahead of the playoffs. Brown is now out with an Achilles injury, but it’s expected that he will be back before the playoffs, where the Cs definitely have a shot of making a deep run with how the team is playing right now.
