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NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 16: Jaylen Brown #7 of the Boston Celtics warms up before playing the New York Knicks in Game Six of the Eastern Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 16, 2025 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics defeated the Toronto Raptors 125–117 at TD Garden on Friday night.
Jaylen Brown led the way with 25 points. The win pushed the Celtics to 24–13 and extended its cushion in the Eastern Conference standings. However, Brown’s performance itself was not what made headlines afterward.
Instead, it was what he said after the game ended.
Brown Opens Up After Celtics Win
Before the game, Raptors head coach Darko Rajakovic praised Brown’s improvement as a left-handed ball-handler, noting how the weakness that defined earlier stages of his Celtics career has largely disappeared.
When Brown faced questions about that assessment postgame, his answer went deeper than anyone expected.
“I never looked at it as a weakness,” Brown said. “I tore all my ligaments in my wrist in 2021, and I’ve had some procedures and stuff post that.”
Brown then explained that injuries and setbacks over the years created stretches where his wrist limited what he could do. Swelling. Restricted range of motion. Moments where the injury became impossible to ignore.
“I’ve been able to find some modern medicine that’s helped me regain some mobility in my wrist. Sometimes I wake up and I can feel the weather in my wrist at times.”
Justin Turpin
Jaylen Brown opened up about wrist procedures and the use of modern medicine when asked about addressing his past weakness with his left hand:
“I tore all my ligaments in my wrist in 2021 and I’ve had some procedures and stuff post that… I’ve had some chips in my wrist over the
How Brown Has Managed the Recovery
Brown detailed the treatments that allowed him to continue playing through the lingering effects. Throughout the years, setbacks followed him. Falls caused fragmentation. Swelling lasted weeks.
“I’ve had to take trips to go get PRP shots, different type of stem cell treatment on my wrist,” Brown said. “Sometimes you fall on it; that can cause fragmentation or something and it swells up, so for two weeks or a month, you can’t really move it.”
Nevertheless, the choice remained the same. Miss games or find a way through.
“Do you miss games? No, you don’t miss games. You’ve got to figure it out,” Brown said. “But right now, it’s feeling fine. That could change. But I have worked on it a lot. My health status is what I focus on the most.”
Previously, Brown had not discussed the extent of the injury. When asked why he chose to reveal it now, he pointed to a shift in transparency.
“It’s the age of truth, 2026,” Brown said. “I’ve been streaming, being more transparent.”
Why the Revelation Matters for the Celtics
Throughout this season, Brown has carried the Celtics through what was supposed to be turbulent.
With Jayson Tatum sidelined indefinitely, Brown has absorbed the primary scoring load while maintaining efficiency and control. This week, he earned third place in the Kia MVP ladder, trailing only Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Consequently, the context around his left hand has shifted. What critics once viewed as a technical flaw is now understood as a physical limitation Brown has played through for years.
Brown closed his response by making it clear he welcomes the challenge.
“I like it when people force me to my left,” Brown said. “I hope they keep doing it.”
Final Word for the Celtics
Jaylen Brown did not have to share any of this.
The injury was years old. The procedures remained private. Yet in choosing to open up, Brown added clarity to a narrative that has followed him throughout his career.
Currently, the Celtics sit second in the Eastern Conference. Brown leads the charge. And the doubts about his left hand can now be reframed entirely.
It was never a weakness. Instead, it stands as a testament to durability.