Jaylen Brown calling last season his favorite sparked plenty of controversy, especially after the Celtics blew a 3-1 lead against the 76ers.But the context behind Browns comments could actually tell Philadelphia plenty about what theyre getting from their newest star.Brown was without Jayson Tatum for most of the 2025-26 season as Boston entered the year with significantly lower expectations. Rather than focusing solely on his individual production, Brown said he enjoyed taking responsibility for a younger group.I think this has been my favorite season so far, being able to get an opportunity to lead a group, Brown told reporters in December. A group of guys who Some of us have some championship experience, but we have five or six new guys who havent really played NBA basketball. And now, we look like one of the better teams in the league. And thats just credit to our coaching staff and credit to our leadership that weve been able to get those guys comfortable. And were playing some good basketball right now, so it means everything.Brown doubled down after Bostons playoff elimination, explaining that the teams response to low expectations was what made the season so meaningful.The expectations for this team was to fail, Brown said on Twitch. The expectations for this team was to be nothing. Just to give in, and to quit. This team did the exact opposite. We fought every single day. We fought for everything.That mentality could become important in Philadelphia.To be honest, it doesnt have to be anybodys team, Brown said. It just needs to be based in respect and work. And thats kind of my approach. I want to earn everybodys respect and trust, which takes time. Obviously, its a lot of guys with talent, theres egos, but to win, youve gotta be able to sacrifice, youve gotta be able to have trust and communication. I want to come in transparent. I want to come in with my agenda on the table, Look, this is what Im here to do, this is what I want to do. I want to win. And we kinda can figure out how to respectfully move around each other.READ MORE: Bronny Reveals His Biggest Area of Focus This Summer
