Jaylen Brown’s Boston block party puts a bow on his Celtics career and clears the way for his Sixers tenure

BOSTON — Closure is a fickle concept, whether in relationships, friendships and even sports fandom.

When something ends, closure isn’t guaranteed, and people often have to move on from traumatic or life-altering moments without it.

The deep bond between a city, its people, and its sports heroes is a phenomenon with few parallels in life, especially those who have won championships and been as ingrained in their communities as Jaylen Brown was for 10 years with the Boston Celtics.

But rarely do those connections end without some sort of breakup, which can lead to hurt feelings and confusion. As Brown said recently, “I just threw my phone across the room” when he heard the Celtics were trading him to Philadelphia for Paul George and draft picks.

His life and the lives of Celtics fans all over Boston became a lot different, and the trajectory of his new franchise changed, since that move also led LeBron James to pick the Sixers as his next and potentially final basketball home.

But before Brown officially gets going in Philadelphia when training camp starts with Media Day on Sept. 28, he had one bit of business to take care of in Boston — saying thank you. Brown did that Sunday with a block party and concert in Boston Common, which he titled the 741 Frequency Fest. He didn’t say much — he only addressed the crowd briefly two times — and he joined rapper A$AP Ferg for a performance of their collaboration “Just Do It.”

» READ MORE: The LeBron hype has not died down as Sixers fans line up outside the arena for James and Jaylen Brown jerseys

“I ain’t got too much to say because I’m at a loss for words,” Brown said. “I’m seeing all these people out here and I love each and every one of y’all. … I’ve been in this city for close to 10 years. I said I was gonna go to war for this city when I first got here.”

To Brown, that extended beyond the court, with city and state officials coming to offer Brown the key to the city and a commemorative street sign that said “Jaylen Brown Way.”

“Every minute that he has, he poured into the city,” Boston mayor Michelle Wu said. “We’re never going to let you forget us.”

Upon entering the Common, a large poster said “Thank you, Jaylen. Love, the city of Boston.” Fans could take a marker and sign the wall or write a message to Brown.

One such fan was Roberta Hayes-Bautista, a California transplant who has lived in Boston for over two decades and cited Brown’s commitment to the community, specifically with significant amounts of his money, as why Brown is “one in a million.”

“Gut punch,” Hayes-Bautista said of the trade. “I don’t think you’ll ever be able to replace him. This right here, who’s ever done this before? Nobody.”

Hayes-Bautista was referring to the block party in front of her. For most of the afternoon, it was a relaxing day in the park, with a DJ providing music from the stage where Brown and artists like Lil Jon and Lil Baby would eventually perform. The stage also displayed the Larry O’Brien Trophy Brown won with Boston in 2024, along with his Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP trophies.

» READ MORE: Which member of the Sixers’ Big 5 will have to sacrifice most?

Fans stood behind barricades about 15-20 feet from the stage from around 1:30 p.m. waiting for Brown to come out. Food trucks lined the pathways, and there were a few different basketball games around the Common. In the meantime, fans flowed in to take advantage of a book bag giveaway, haircuts, and manicures. Cloud cover hid the sun and made for a comfortable afternoon.

That allowed Mary Vincent, who said she is a Celtics season-ticket holder, to come out with her family and greyhound Sangria, who was dressed up in a Celtics shirt. Vincent wanted to come out and support Brown even as she is recovering from a knee replacement.

She said she plans on giving up her season tickets and wasn’t buying the Celtics’ reasoning for trading Brown. Celtics President Brad Stevens said multiple times last month that trading Brown would give the team more “optionality” into the future. That wasn’t much of as an excuse to Vincent and the thousands of people who showed up Sunday.

“There was nothing wrong with the team. I think we had another possibility of winning another championship,” Vincent said. “I thought we would keep Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum through their whole careers. It was such a shock to me. I was grief-stricken.”

» READ MORE: Brad Stevens says he would rather have not traded Jaylen Brown to Philly, but the Celtics did what they had to do

Hence why Brown felt a unique day like Sunday was necessary, a part of the processing of the trade for him and for fans.

Brown showed up to the event around 4 p.m., and mostly stayed quartered off from the crowds either on stage or behind it, except for one stretch of time when he walked down Charles Street as fans followed behind him. As the event wrapped up around 6:15 p.m., local and state officials made presentations to Brown, who was moved by the gestures.

» READ MORE: Sixers add longtime LeBron James confidant Randy Mims to front office

“When I first got to Boston, none of this I imagined,” Brown said. “My grandma and my mom taught me to just dive into my community, so I was expecting nothing like this.”

A couple of the people who spoke on stage said they hoped Brown might make this party a regular thing. But those words sounded like people stating that they’ll still hang out after a break up, knowing that likely won’t be the case. There will still be more finality to Brown’s departure the first time he sets foot on the TD Garden floor in a regular-season game wearing a Sixers jersey. That day, slated for Jan. 21, is still about five months away. It won’t be easy for anyone involved.

“I don’t even know what to say,” Brown said. “I don’t do stuff for recognition, but I’m so grateful it’s so many people here. The feeling is mutual. Just know, Boston, I love you.”