Clarity hasn’t exactly defined Jaylen Brown’s career. 

There were boos on draft night, but not because people hated that he was picked. It was widely reported that if the Boston Celtics picked Kris Dunn that night, they’d include Dunn in a trade for Jimmy Butler, which is what fans wanted. When Brown was picked, the boos were more for Danny Ainge not making the deal. 

In January of 2022, Brown tweeted “the energy is about to shift.” The Celtics went on a nine-game winning streak and everyone pounced on that tweet as something prescient, but Brown himself said it had nothing to do with basketball. He was tweeting about Mercury being in retrograde. 

Brown is even confused about his own history, like in 2018 when he was moved to the bench. Brown said on a podcast earlier this year that then coach Brad Stevens benched Brown for Gordon Hayward, when Hayward was actually benched too. He claims a fan petition forced the team to reconsider, but it was really a Marcus Smart injury and that petition had barely a dozen signatures. 

Now, on his way out of Boston, we can’t even come to a consensus on how good he really is. Did Boston just inexplicably trade a superstar to a rival, or are the Sixers picking up a good player who’s just being paid like a superstar? 

We’ve had 10 years to figure him out, and we still can’t do it. 

That’s actually a compliment to Brown, who has spent his decade as a pro smashing through perceptions. His early years were spent mainly as a straight-line driver who simply preferred to challenge athleticism with athleticism and see who came out on top. He spent time as a cutter and a corner specialist, leading some to believe that his basketball life would be spent as an elite three-and-D kind of guy who dunked on people on fast breaks. 

But every time someone put Brown in a box, he would bust out of it by adding something new to his game. I can speak from personal experience that any conclusions drawn about Brown in the early days were simply opportunities to be embarrassed later. He figured out how to change his pace, how to dribble more effectively, how to create space to launch open jumpers. He learned how to attack double teams, how to facilitate, and yes, how to drive and finish with his left. 

If there’s one thing to point to as a hallmark of Brown’s time on the parquet in Boston, it’s that he found room to improve every summer. He found ways to challenge himself, find a limit, and bust through it. Brown has been on a constant quest for self-improvement since he got into the league, and he has been rewarded with accomplishments that will certainly lead to a number retirement and a Hall of Fame induction some day. 

Through it all, Brown seemed to simply want more credit for what he was accomplishing. There always seemed to be a “yeah, but” to his big moments. There has always been a mitigating factor or a comparison to make when it was Brown’s turn to step into the spotlight. He’d bristle at questions that framed Jayson Tatum as above him in any way, insisting that they shared the same responsibilities. He was noticeably shocked when he was named Eastern Conference Finals MVP in 2024, noting later that “I don’t never win sh–.” 

He carried that on to win Finals MVP and a championship, which normally erases a lot of the criticism of a player, but Brown has never been able to shake the negative comments. Boston’s flameout in the second round against the Knicks in 2025 could easily be attributed to Kristaps Porzingis’ illness and Mitchell Robinson’s return changing the matchups, but Brown took a lot of the blame. Even after this past season’s vast overachievements, Brown is taking it on the chin on the way out the door for how they lost. 

The criticisms can be harsh, and they often go overboard, but they aren’t fabricated. He has been prone to fits of trying to do too much; the confidence that has become such a strength has led him astray a little too often. There have been tough turnovers and forced shots mixed in with the great finds and clutch makes. Brown has seemingly been on a lifelong quest to prove people wrong, going back to the teacher who told him she’d visit him in jail. It has, indeed, sometimes gotten the best of him. But it has more often brought out the best in him. 

And he has consistently brought his best for the city of Boston. Even the most ardent Brown detractor has to admit that he has changed so many young lives for the better. He has spent countless hours in the community, going well beyond the team-mandated appearances. Brown has been present in the communities who need the most hope, and he’s delivered on a promise to uplift them. While the debate rages about whether Boston’s basketball team will ultimately be better without Brown, the Boston’s communities are unquestionably worse off. 

There’s still so much confusion surrounding the Brown trade. Everyone is still trying to parse out why it happened and guess why it happned so frantically. Brown himself still isn’t sure how things took such a hard turn. The only thing that’s clear is that he’s going to play for someone else after ten years in Boston. He leaves just high enough on all-time lists to be called a Celtics legend, but low enough where people will debate it. 

We may never settle on a clear definition of what Brown’s time in Boston was, but it brought more success than most teams enjoy. The NBA is full of franchises that would eagerly sign up for the same 10 years Boston just got with Brown, warts and all. For all the ups and downs, successes and failures, and debate around Jaylen Brown in Boston, it should be clear to everyone on his way out of town that he was one of the best to wear a Celtics uniform. 

June 23, 2016 — The beginning: The Celtics took Brown out of California with the third pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, a selection that wasn’t entirely popular at the time.

When then-owner Wyc Grousbeck announced the pick at an event for season-ticket holders, he was booed by fans that either wanted Providence’s Kris Dunn or for the team to package the pick in a trade for a star.

“Fourteen years, that’s probably the worst [reception] that I’ve gotten,” Grousbeck said. “We’re a bunch of fans who bought this team, and being a fan means you’re emotional, you’re emotionally invested in this team, and no problem. I actually believe [if] they knew what I knew, and we’re in the room, I think most of them might have done the same thing [in drafting Brown].”

Oct. 26, 2016 — Debut in green: Brown played his first game for the Celtics in the 2016-17 opener, scoring 9 points on 3 of 4 shooting in a win over the Nets. He’d go on to make his first start on Nov. 3, scoring 19 points in a loss to the Cavaliers.

Brown made 20 starts in his rookie year, helping Boston to a 53-29 record and a trip to the Eastern Conference finals. He was named to the All-Rookie second team.

Oct. 17, 2017 — The Jays Era begins: The Celtics made another big pick at No. 3 in 2017, drafting Jayson Tatum to begin a partnership that lasted nearly a decade.

The two made their regular-season debut together (and started together) in the 2017-18 opener, a game remembered more for Gordon Hayward’s devastating leg injury in his own Celtics debut.

Brown had a career-high 25 points in the loss on the road to Cleveland. Tatum had 14.

April 17, 2018 — Playoff breakout: After the Celtics went 55-27 and finished second in the East, Boston beat Milwaukee in seven games in the first round, winning Game 2 behind 30 points from Brown. He became the youngest Celtic ever to score 30 in a playoff game in the process.

The Celtics lost to the Cavaliers in seven games in the Eastern Conference finals.

Oct. 21, 2019 — A big contract and a big breakthrough — The Celtics signed Brown to a four-year, $115 million extension before the 2019-20 season, a move that was widely considered an overpay after Brown struggled during the previous season.

Brown responded with a breakout year, averaging career-highs in points (20.3), rebounds (6.4), and assists (2.1) as he and Tatum took the reins after Kyrie Irving’s departure.

Brown narrowly missed out an on All-Star appearance that year, but earned those honors in five of the next six seasons.

Feb. 24, 2021 — First All-Star Game: A few weeks after crossing the 40-point threshold for the first time with 42 against the Grizzlies, Brown made his first All-Star team. He finished that season averaging 24.7 points, 6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists.

Boston struggled through that season, going just 36-36 in a pandemic-shortened year. The Celtics lost to the Nets in five games in the first round of the playoffs without Brown, who tore a ligament in his wrist with just a few games left in the year.

Jan. 2, 2022 — First 50-point game: Brown had two career outings in the first eight days of 2022, pouring in a career-high 50 points in a win over the Magic before notching his first career triple-double in a Jan. 8 win over the Knicks.

Jan. 31, 2022 — An energy shift: The Celtics’ first few months under Ime Udoka were underwhelming, with Boston mired in the doldrums of .500 basketball. In the hours before the Celtics took on the Heat at TD Garden, Brown authored a brief but now-iconic tweet: “The energy is about to shift.”

He was right. The Celtics went 25-6 over the rest of the season to finish second in the East.

June 2, 2022 — First Finals appearance: After helping lead the Celtics through the Eastern Conference playoffs, taking out the Nets (sweep), Bucks (seven games), and Heat (seven games), Brown and Boston took on the Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals.

Brown was one of the stars of a stunning road comeback in Game 1 with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists as the Celtics rallied from a 12-point fourth-quarter deficit to steal the opener.

Brown played pretty well in the six-game series, averaging 23.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists, but it wasn’t enough to keep Boston from falling to Golden State in six games.

May 10, 2023 — All-NBA honors: Brown was named All-NBA for the first time after the 2022-23 season, earning second team honors after averaging a career-best 26.6 points along with 6.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists.

He had at least 30 points in more than half of Boston’s games as the Celtics went 57-25 in their first season under Joe Mazzulla.

That season ended in playoff disappointment, though, as Boston fell into an 0-3 hole against Miami in the Eastern Conference finals, rallied to force a Game 7, then fell flat in the decider at TD Garden.

Brown struggled in that series against the Heat, averaging just 19 points and shooting a ghastly 7 of 43 (16.3 percent) from 3-point range. He was particularly bad in that Game 7, going 8 of 23 from the field and turning it over eight times.

July 25, 2023 — A record contract: Following a few weeks of silence after he became eligible for a super-max extension, Brown inked a five-year, $304 million deal that was, at the time, the richest in NBA history.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Brown said. “So, let’s get started.”

May 21, 2024 — A clutch shot: After the star-studded Celtics — who added Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday in the offseason — romped to a 64-18 record and the East’s No. 1 seed in 2023-24, they brushed aside the Heat and Cavaliers, each in five games, to reach the Eastern Conference finals.

Game 1 of that series against the Pacers looked to be spinning away from Boston, which trailed by 3 points with 8 seconds to go.

Then Brown delivered the biggest clutch moment of his Celtics career to date, burying a tough, heavily-contested 3-pointer from the corner to send the game to overtime.

“Before the inbound I was just talking to myself, if I get this shot, it’s going in,” Brown said. “I was telling myself the whole time, if you get it, it’s going up, and it’s going in. I happened to create some space on that backside and was able to make a big time play.

The Celtics won in overtime, then swept the Pacers to return to the NBA Finals. Brown was named Eastern Conference finals MVP after averaging 29.8 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists in the series.

June 17, 2024: NBA champion and Finals MVP — The Celtics’ dominant run to the title finished in Game 5 against the Mavericks, with Brown scoring 21 points as Boston won its 18th championship.

After averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5 assists in the series, Brown was named NBA Finals MVP, joining a short list of Celtics to win the award with John Havlicek, Jo Jo White, Cedric Maxwell, Larry Bird (twice), and Paul Pierce.

“All of the moments where we came up short, felt like we let the city down, let ourselves down, all of that compiled is how we get to this moment,” Brown said. “And it makes it feel even that much better that we had to go through the journey, the heartbreak, the embarrassment, the loss, to get to the mountaintop.”

May 12, 2025: A dynamic shift — The Celtics were favorites to return to the NBA Finals in 2025, but blew the first two games of a second-round series to the Knicks at home, then lost superstar Jayson Tatum to an Achilles tear in a devastating Game 4.

For the first time, Brown became Boston’s undisputed first option. He stepped up in a big way two days later despite a torn meniscus, racking up 26 points, 12 assists, and 8 rebounds in a Game 5 win to keep the Celtics alive.

It wasn’t enough, though, as Boston was blown out in Game 6, and the franchise’s core was torn down with the summer exodus of Holiday, Porzingis, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet.

“Losing to the Knicks feels like death, but I was always taught that there’s life after death, so we’ll figure out whatever’s next,” Brown said, “I know, Boston, it looks gloomy right now with JT being out and us at the end of the year, but there’s a lot to look forward to, and I want the city to feel excited about that — that this is not the end. I’m looking forward to what’s next.”

Oct. 22, 2025 — A superstar season begins: With Tatum sidelined, Brown had to shoulder the scoring load for 2025-26. He did just that.

Brown averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists — all career highs — to lead the Celtics to 56 wins. He scored 40-plus points on seven occasions, including a career high-tying 50 against the Clippers in January.

Brown earned second team All-NBA honors for the second time in his career and finished sixth in MVP voting.

May 2, 2026 — One last playoff disappointment: After going up, 3-1, over the 76ers in the first round, the heavily-favored Celtics cratered, blowing that lead for the first time in franchise history and losing Game 7 at home.

Brown started the series hot, but shot just 41.8 percent from the field in the final three games. That Game 7, it turns out, was his last game as a Celtic.

Brown also made some headlines after calling the campaign his “favorite season” despite a first-round exit, a minor controversy that dragged into the summer.

June 23, 2026 — The Giannis trade: Things got uncomfortable as the NBA Draft approached, when it emerged that the Celtics were aggressively pursuing a trade for Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Boston’s offer centered around Brown, but it wasn’t enough to land the two-time MVP, who headed to Miami instead.

That left the Celtics to try to repair the relationship with Brown, who knew the team was actively trying to trade him.

“I don’t love the fact, anytime it’s a big public thing,” said president of basketball operations Brad Stevens.

July 1, 2026 — Traded to Philadelphia: The Celtics agreed to ship Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-rounders.

Amin Touri can be reached at amin.touri@globe.com.

After Bay took an early two-goal lead, the Legacy settled in and began to find their attack, and they got one back in first-half stoppage time. When they returned to the field after halftime, the Legacy looked confident on the ball and controlled the pace of play.

Trailing 2-0 in the second minute of first-half stoppage time, Nichelle Prince served a ball into the box, and Amanda Guttieres headed it into the back of the net for her third NWSL goal. It was the Brazilian striker’s first goal in the run of play after scoring on two penalty kicks earlier this season.

Boston entered the match with a league-leading 174 fouls committed and 27 cards (two red, 25 yellow), and the Legacy added to that total in the early minutes of the game, resulting an deficit.

Goalkeeper Casey Murphy received a yellow card in the fifth minute for a tackle on Alex Pfeiffer after a defensive error led to a loose ball in the box. Claire Hutton took the penalty kick and converted to give Bay a 1-0 lead.

Jorelyn Carabali also received a yellow card in the eighth minute.

Defender Lilly Reale made her first start for her hometown team since Boston acquired the Hingham native from Gotham FC on June 17.

The Legacy sent $350,000 in allocation money and $50,000 in intraleague transfer fee funds to Gotham FC for Reale, the 2025 NWSL Rookie of the Year. She joined the Legacy on a four-year deal that runs through December 2029.

Adding Reale to the lineup gives the Legacy a bit more flexibility on the left side, an area where they’ve suffered three injuries already this season. (Of those injured, only Brazilian defender Kaká remains out).

The defender has had two weeks of uninterrupted training with the Legacy to get used to her new team, but she still showed signs of growing pains on Sunday.

Known as a vocal communicator on the field, Reale was visibly frustrated at times when her teammates didn’t make the runs she expected them to, and Bay’s second goal was a direct result of Reale holding a Bay forward onside.

The visitors doubled their lead in the 17th minute on a ball in behind to Karlie Lema, who broke through Reale and Boston’s back line and had a 1-on-1 with Murphy. Lema slotted her first touch inside the near post to give Bay a 2-0 lead.

In their previous meeting, these teams played to a 1-1 draw on May 15 at PayPal Park despite Boston playing with 10 players for more than half the contest. Defender Bianca St-Georges was handed a red card and a three-game suspension for a tackle in the 42nd minute of that match, and Sunday’s game was the final game of her suspension.

Prior to Sunday, the Legacy hadn’t played since May 30, a 1-0 loss to Kansas City. Boston lost two straight entering Sunday’s contest, dating back to a 2-1 loss to Seattle on May 22 — the Legacy’s first game at Centreville Bank Stadium.

Boston will return to Pawtucket Friday at 8 p.m. to host Chicago.

Emma Healy can be reached at emma.healy@globe.com or on X @ByEmmaHealy.