Jaylen Brown is more relaxed than ever… and ready for a Celtics repeat

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The Finals MVP has always carried a chip on his shoulder — but this time, there is undeniable joy, too.

BRIGHTON, MASSACHUSETTS — A freshly-shaved Jaylen Brown sat at the podium, grinning from ear to ear, ready to address a swarm of reporters for his Celtics Media Day availability.

The first question he received was about getting snubbed from the U.S. Olympic team — a story that’s been well-chronicled and punctuated by teammate Derrick White getting the call in his place.

“God damn, question number 1?” Brown said, breaking into laughter. “Can’t I get to warm-up a little?”

There was a truth to Brown’s joking exasperation — after a summer spent celebrating the highest honor in basketball, the first thing anyone wanted to know was about the one thing he didn’t accomplish.

But, his laughter also revealed something different: the edge that Brown generally carries at the podium had softened, at least for the day.

He smiled, and answered the question as intended.

“I’m ready to go. I’m excited about being back,” he said. “The past is the past, but I’m ready to get after it, lead our guys, build some team chemistry, not skip any steps, and just set the tone for another year again. I’m extremely motivated for obvious reasons, and I’m ready to get after it.”

It’s not the first time Jaylen Brown has been asked about the Olympic snub heard around the world — addressing reporters in Summer League in July, he dispelled any notion that there was an issue between him and White, while also acknowledging that being left off the roster fired him up, and that he felt that the shoe company Nike had a hand in the decision.

Now, few months removed and seated at the Auerbach Center podium, Brown seemed more at peace, even noting that watching his Celtics teammates in the Olympics was one of the highlights of his summer.

When he was asked about his reaction to Wyc Grousbeck selling the team as the Celtics’ most veteran player, Brown again quipped: That’s just like a way to call somebody old” before ultimately saying he simply hoped for a smooth transition, adding that he appreciated the relationship with the current ownership group.

Jaylen Brown, who very rarely breaks character in pressers, had jokes.

Later, in an interview with NBC Sports Boston, he threw a jab at one of the NBA teams that’s occupied the other side of the win column.

“A night we playing — don’t mean to disrespect them but — the Detroit Pistons who have struggled over the last year or two, we gonna play through Payton, let him go for 30,” Brown said. “Play through Sam, let him shoot 10 threes tonight. We gonna still win the game.”

So, why the new, playful demeanor?

“I don’t want to state the obvious, but we won a championship,” he said with a grin, describing the highly-anticipated experience as “bliss.”

“This summer, my heart wasn’t broken.”

After securing the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, Finals MVP, and Larry O’Brien trophy, the summer of a lifetime ensued for the three-time All-Star. There was an ESPY award, a rap song, and a new shoe line. There were well-documented global travels that included Spain, Brazil, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia.

And, there was also the philanthropic offseason work, which Brown named the summer’s highlight. His 7uice Foundation launched a partnership with Jrue Holiday in Boston, and Jason Kidd in Oakland, both aimed at providing grants to underrepresented entrepreneurs, as part of his pursuit Black Wall Street.

“Being able to do something with J-Kidd, you know, we just competed in the NBA Finals,” Brown said. “For him to put that to the side and be able to still put community first — I think that was pretty awesome.”

And, none of the side conquests got in the way of the main thing, Brown made sure to note.

“I say this every year, but this is the best that I’ve ever felt and the hardest that I’ve ever worked,” Brown said. “In the midst of traveling, I’ve been able to balance that with really getting after it.”

Because, as relaxed as he may have appeared, Jaylen Brown and the rest of the Celtics made one thing clear at Media Day: they’re not satisfied with just a singular championship.

“It was never just about trying to win just one,” said Jayson Tatum.

Like Brown, Tatum began his presser fielding questions about his own Olympic controversy — namely, a pair of DNPs that dominated the national media all summer. And, like Brown, he made clear that despite everything he and the Celtics accomplished last year, he wasn’t satisfied.

(For Tatum, the jam-packed summer included an NBA2K cover, becoming an author, starring in a Netflix documentary, and landing on the cover of Sports Illustrated, among other accolades).

“All the guys I looked up to growing up won at least one championship,” Tatum said matter-of-factly. “Now, it’s just a conversation of, how great are you trying to be? What room or what tier are you trying to be mentioned in when it’s all said and done? And understanding the window you have to maximize that time.”

As they look to pursue a second title, there appears to be little concern about a letdown for the defending champions (though don’t call it that to Joe Mazzulla’s face).

“We just got a stellar group of guys that just have great mentalities. So I don’t think it would be as hard to maintain that consistency,” Brown said. “We just got to make sure that we continue to emphasizing holding each other accountable. Hopefully, we stay healthy for the large part of the year, but I’m excited. We got a great group of guys, a great team chemistry, great locker room, so we just got to take it one day at a time and see where we go from there. But it’s been an honor being around some of these guys for X amount of years. So I’m looking forward to this journey because of the guys I get to share the locker room with.”

Mazzulla made clear that in his eyes, nothing was different about beginning the season as reigning champions.

“Zero. Feels zero difference,” Mazzulla said. “And I think if you’re ever lucky to do it again, when it does feel different, that’s what I’d rather not do it anymore.”

Brown echoed that sentiment: the coin may have flipped, but the mentality was the same. And, above all, a second NBA title was front of mind.

“Last year, before we lost, it was like the lowest of low for me. I felt like it was my responsibility when we lost in Game 7 and fell short. Now, it’s like we won, and it’s the same kind of deal, but just the opposite end of the spectrum, right?

“But it kind of feels the same when you look at it in hindsight. Because you can go one way or the other in both of those directions. When you’re at the bottom, you can go one way or the other. When you’re at the top, you can keep going or you can go down. It kind of feels like, really oddly enough, the same. So, I’m excited just to start the journey again. Could’ve used another couple weeks [in the offseason], but no complaints here. I’d rather end every season like we did last year. So, let’s get it going.”