Ten years ago, an 18-year-old boy posted a sentence online: "My teacher said she would visit me at Cobb County Jail in five years." Unexpectedly, this boy who was once predicted by his teacher to end up in jail became the third overall pick in the NBA two years later, a distinguished alumnus of a famous university five years later, and won the NBA championship and Finals MVP at the age of 28, earning a total of $182 million. However, this young and successful man first fell in love with a female internet celebrity 17 years older than him, and later had a relationship with a female basketball player embroiled in domestic violence allegations, which confused many people. He is Jaylen Brown, the star of the Boston Celtics.
Born on October 24, 1996, in Alpharetta, Georgia, Brown comes from a well-off family. His father, Marcelus Brown, was a professional boxer whose career began in 1989 and ended in 2016 after successfully cultivating Jaylen into the NBA. This boxer, who had been active in the ring for 27 years, always emphasized the importance of dreams and beliefs through his actions.
Brown's mother holds a Ph.D. and has taught at universities. She always stressed the importance of education and knowledge. Before playing basketball as a child, his main task was to finish homework and write book reports. Growing up in such an educational environment, Brown not only became a dominant force on the court but also an academic achiever. In his senior year of high school, he ranked among the top five high school students in the United States and was even appointed as a substitute teacher when his teacher was unavailable due to his excellent grades.
However, because he was too outstanding in all aspects and his mentality was not yet mature at the time, Brown became arrogant, which caused some teachers' dissatisfaction. One female teacher even told him, "I will visit you at Cobb County Jail in five years." When surrounded by mostly praise, such a voice made Brown very unhappy. He posted what the teacher said online, constantly reminding himself to strive and not let the teacher's prediction come true.
From then on, he paid more attention to his words and deeds, becoming much more low-key and modest, and never got into conflicts with teachers, classmates, or teammates again. At high school graduation, he received countless good reviews. Naturally, such a well-rounded talent who excelled academically and athletically received full scholarship offers from prestigious universities across the country. However, he rejected basketball powerhouses like Duke, Kentucky, and North Carolina, choosing instead the academically rigorous University of California, Berkeley.
After making his decision, Brown, following his mother's advice, called the coaches of the schools he rejected. This emotionally intelligent and respectful move earned him many praises and even forged a close friendship with Roy Williams, the head coach of North Carolina. His ability to communicate and interact made him a good leader. He once led Berkeley into the NCAA March Madness, and since his departure, Berkeley has not been able to make it back into the tournament.
After finishing his freshman year, Brown chose to enter the NBA draft. One point in his scouting report stood out - he was too smart, which might hinder his basketball performance. All bosses hope their employees speak less and do more, and NBA owners are no exception. NBA players have great influence, and saying too much can cause the media waiting for a long time to spread the news wildly, especially when it involves controversial topics. Off-court factors can interfere with a player's performance.
When Brown was selected third overall in the first round, the Celtics were more disappointed than hopeful. Fans did not favor this small forward who averaged only 14.7 points and had a three-point shooting percentage of just 29.4% in the NCAA. In his first three years in the NBA, Brown struggled under constant scrutiny, averaging only 6.6 points in his rookie season, rising to 14.5 points in his second season, and dropping to 13 points in his third season. Although there were occasional highlights, his overall performance did not meet the standards expected of a third overall pick, earning him the label of a "bust."
Fortunately, the Celtics never gave up on him. When he and Tatum led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals in the absence of Irving and Hayward, the Celtics decided to build the team around the "Twin Probes." On October 22, 2019, the Celtics seemed to foresee Brown's imminent breakthrough and immediately offered him a four-year, $115 million contract extension.
After the renewal, Brown exploded with an average of 20.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, shooting 48.1% from the field. This was the first time in his NBA career that he contributed an average of over 20 points per game. Since that season, his scoring average has remained above 20 points. In the 2020-2021 season, he was selected to the All-Star team for the first time with an average of 24.7 points per game. However, in 2022, he was overlooked by the All-Stars due to a slight drop in his scoring average, which left him feeling frustrated. He channeled this frustration into helping the Celtics reach the finals with outstanding performances.
After the finals, both the Twin Probes faced criticism. The once incredibly confident Brown fell into deep self-doubt for a period of time. After a period of depression, he realized that the best way to overcome anxiety was to take action. Just thinking without doing would only lead to more anxiety. That summer, he focused on building muscle, diligently practicing left-handed dribbling and finishing, facing his weaknesses head-on, and even sought Tracy McGrady's help to enhance his offensive repertoire.
In the new season, he transformed, averaging a career-high 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game, shooting 49.1% from the field. He successfully entered the All-Star starting lineup and was selected to the Second Team All-NBA. In the playoffs, he once again helped the Celtics reach the Eastern Conference Finals, where they fought the Heat for seven games before being defeated.
During the offseason, the Celtics offered a five-year, $308 million contract extension, the largest in NBA history. Brown, unsurprisingly, faced criticism again, but he demonstrated the value of his contract with outstanding performances. In last season's Eastern Conference Finals, he averaged 29.8 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, shooting 51.7% from the field and 37% from three-point range, earning him the East Finals MVP title.
In the finals, he averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5 assists per game, earning him the Finals MVP award. Years of boos, doubts, trade rumors, and off-court voices questioning "Who is the team leader?" did not break him. His various interests did not hinder his progress in basketball. When he won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, Finals MVP, and championship trophy, the doubts about him dissipated. However, in terms of emotions, he faced criticism again.
Throughout his NBA career, Brown has signed three contracts: a four-year, 21.4millionrookiecontract;afour−year,115 million renewal contract; and a five-year, 308millioncontract,thelargestinNBAhistory.Thetotalsalaryofthecontractsexecutedsofarhasreached182 million. He is also a researcher at MIT's Media Lab, vice-chairman of the Players Association, and the youngest speaker in Harvard University's history. With such excellence, what kind of partner would he choose?
Brown's ex-girlfriend is named Burgos, a female internet celebrity and socialite. Burgos is not only 17 years older than Brown but also has two children. Her eldest daughter is a few months older than Brown and has children of her own. If Brown married Burgos, he would become a grandfather at a young age. Fortunately, this unpopular romance did not last long and did not lead to marriage.
After breaking up with Burgos, Brown started dating Kaysla Bonner, also a basketball player. Born on July 27, 1997, she stands 1.75 meters tall and weighs 68 kilograms. She has played for the WNBA's Sky and Fever teams but was cut by the Sky team in July this year due to poor performance.
Kaysla is the ex-girlfriend of former Rockets player and current Clippers player Kevin Porter Jr., who became known to the public for domestic violence against her, leading to his arrest by the police.
It must be said that the circle of NBA players is really small. Many players' girlfriends have been the exes of other NBA players. Brown and Kaysla got together soon after meeting. Brown brought Kaysla to the championship parade and fashion shows, where she faced criticism for her revealing attire. However, Brown loves her deeply and takes care of this woman who has experienced domestic violence, hoping for a good outcome for their relationship.