Jaylen Brown vows to earn ‘trust and respect’ from the Sixers and his new basketball community
Brown acknowledged that, “on paper,” his new-look Sixers boast “excellent” talent as he prepares to play alongside LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe.
Jaylen Brown sat immersed in his new basketball community Thursday afternoon, ready to move forward.
The All-NBA wing proclaimed that, “on paper,” his new-look 76ers boast “excellent” talent after making a blockbuster trade for him and then signing the legendary LeBron James in a stunning and swift roster revamp. Brown also shrugged off a question about if there are enough touches to go around on a star-studded roster, and acknowledged he is “not sure completely yet” what the Sixers will need most from him.
His initial focus is on winning — and to “just be myself.”
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“That’s one thing that I can promise this city, the organization, and the coaching staff,” Brown said during his introductory news conference at Francis J. Myers Recreation Center, “that I’m going to come in every single day and be myself. Put my best foot forward. Lead with my integrity, lead with my mentality, and lead with my capacity and my will to win.
“We’ll figure out the Xs and Os and the ins and outs. But winning is the agenda, so that’s the first thing that’s on my mind.”
Inquiries are valid about where Brown envisions his fit on a roster that also features All-NBA guard Tyrese Maxey, former NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid, and second-year standout guard VJ Edgecombe.
Brown is coming off the best individual season of his career, when he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists and finished sixth in MVP voting with the Boston Celtics. Brown also publicly called it his “favorite season” on more than one occasion, because he was the unquestioned top offensive option while fellow superstar wing Jayson Tatum recovered from Achilles surgery and helped a team that many outsiders had written off finish second in the Eastern Conference’s regular-season standings.
That will not be the case on these Sixers now expected to legitimately chase a title in a deep Eastern Conference headlined by the defending-champion New York Knicks. Brown, though, said he is excited to learn from James, an all-time great. Those two newcomers, Brown said, are already in a group chat with the established Maxey, Embiid, and Edgecombe that is active “damn near every day.”
Brown vowed to earn the “trust and respect” of those teammates, as a five-time All-Star and 2024 Finals MVP. Reserve forwards Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker were in attendance at Thursday’s news conference.
“The only thing that’s going to move me is doing something collectively, so a championship,” Brown said. “That’s what I’m looking forward to, trying to start that journey and building toward [it].”
Brown reflected fondly on his 10 seasons in Boston, where he spent one-third of his life and reached the NBA’s mountaintop. But he declined to fully rehash his messy and public departure, though acknowledged he is still processing such a dramatic professional and personal change.
But now Brown is immersed in his new basketball community. He sees the same impressive roster that outsiders have vaulted into contender status. He also recognizes that a list of names and past individual accomplishments are not guaranteed to translate to the court.
So he will begin his Sixers tenure by prioritizing winning, and being himself.
“Obviously, on paper, we look great,” Brown said. “But let’s all slow down. It takes real work every single day in order to make something like this happen. …
“I’m looking forward to doing whatever it is I need to do, whoever I need to talk to, to make sure that we’re on the same page and everybody’s focused on the same thing. If we do that, then we’ll be where we want to be.”
