We knew Jaylen Brown was battling a knee injury during the Celtics’ playoff run. Now we know the severity of the ailment that has hampered the Boston star since March.
Brown played the last part of the season with a partially torn meniscus in his right knee, according to ESPN’s Ramon Shelburne. Brown will be evaluated this week to determine if he’ll need to undergo surgery during the offseason.
Brown started receiving injections in his knee back in March to help with the injury, and missed six games over a 13-game stretch late in the season to rest up before the playoffs. He was able to play through the injury and suited up for all 11 of Boston’s postseason games, and though Brown lacked his usual explosiveness, he was still able to average 22.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per contest for the Celtics.
“I don’t make excuses,” Brown told reporters after Boston’s season-ending loss to the New York Knicks on Friday night. “Obviously, it’s tough the way we went out like tonight, but the way we finished the year, personally, the way I finished the year, persevering through some physical stuff that I was battling through, I’m proud of our group.”
News of Brown’s injury further complicates an already iffy offseason for the Celtics. The team is already facing the likelihood of playing all of next season without superstar forward Jayson Tatum, who underwent surgery for a rupture Achilles last week in New York. With Brown’s status now in question, there’s a chance the Celtics will be without their two best players to start the 2025-26 NBA season.
After taking home MVP honors in the Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals last summer, Brown averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and a career-best 4.5 assists over 63 regular-season games for Boston in 2024-25.
Jaylen Brown staying optimistic after Celtics postseason loss
The Celtics’ title defense ended Friday night with a blowout loss to the Knicks in New York in Game 6 of their Eastern Conference semifinal playoff series. Boston became the sixth straight defending champ to lose in the second round.
Brown was obviously disappointed with the result, and the Celtics are likely heading into an offseason of change given the team’s massive payroll and the uncertainty with Tatum and Brown’s injuries. But Brown remains optimistic the Celtics will be back in the contender’s seat in the near future.
“Losing to the Knicks feels like death. But, I was always taught that there’s life after death. So, we’ll get ready for whatever’s next, whatever’s next in the journey I’ll be ready for,” Brown said Friday.
“You just take this with your chin up. I know Boston, it looks gloomy right now, obviously, with JT being out and the end of the year. But there’s a lot to look forward to, and I want the city to feel excited about that,” added Brown. “This is not the end. I’m looking forward to what’s next.”
Matt Geagan
Matthew Geagan is a sports producer for CBS Boston. He has been part of the WBZ sports team for nearly 20 years. He moved over to the web in 2012 and has covered all the highs (and a few lows) in Boston sports.
