Jaylen Brown is having a great season for one of the best teams in basketball. He's stepped up in Jayson Tatum's absence, leading the Boston Celtics for most of the season until Tatum returned in March.
Brown has the best stats of his career, too. Throw in his intangibles, and he has a legitimate MVP case given how much he and the Celtics have exceeded expectations this year.
And yet, he probably won't win. Barring something crazy happening over the next month, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the betting favorite and looks like a lock for his second straight MVP trophy.
Brown is 29 and in his 10th NBA season, so he knows he may not have many prime years or MVP opportunities left.
He recently discussed his MVP chances with former NBA superstars Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady on their "Cousins" podcast.
Jaylen Brown on potentially winning MVP:
"I feel like I fit the criteria for it. ... But people constantly just move the bar. We fast forward, and now I don't have enough to fit the criteria, I probably never will no matter what I do." @FCHWPO 💯🍀 pic.twitter.com/sXkwK1ISn1
— Cousins with Vince Carter & Tracy McGrady (@VinceAndTmac) March 11, 2026
"It would be cool...It would be nice, but that's not in my control," Brown said. "I feel like I fit the criteria for it...But people constantly just move the bar. We fast forward, and now I don't have enough to fit the criteria, so I probably never will no matter what I do."
Carter and McGrady never won an MVP in their Hall of Fame careers, so they know how hard it is.
Brown seems okay with that, though, as he said he'd rather win another championship than an MVP. Besides, he already has an Eastern Conference Finals MVP and an NBA Finals MVP, and he's not trading those for a regular-season MVP anytime soon.
Boston's title odds are much better than Brown's MVP odds right now anyway, so that seems like a far more realistic outcome.
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