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Celtics' Jaylen Brown revealed to be high in the MVP race among NBA players
TL;DR
Jaylen Brown is ranked third in the NBA MVP race according to the NBA Anonymous Player Poll, receiving 8.2% of the votes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leads with 39%, followed by Nikola Jokic at 21.4%. Despite challenges, Brown's performance has impressed many players and analysts.
Celtics' Jaylen Brown revealed to be high in the MVP race among NBA players originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 2025-26 season was supposed to be a gap year for the Boston Celtics. Coach Joe Mazzulla practically had to reinvent his team after losing their core because salary issues and not having Jayson Tatum for the majority of the year due to an Achilles injury. Still, the team persisted and will hold the second seed in the Eastern Conference. A lot of players in the association posit that Jaylen Brown should get his flowers and be crowned as the NBA MVP. All of that was revealed in the NBA Anonymous Player Poll.
Why should Celtics' Brown be NBA MVP?
The Athletic's NBA Anonymous Player Poll ranked Jaylen Brown as the third-most deserving player to win league MVP. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander overwhelmingly leads all players as he notched 39% of the votes among 159 players asked. Nikola Jokic follows it up as he garnered 21.4% of those votes. Brown tied with Cade Cunningham and Luka Doncic as each three got 8.2% of the votes each.
It is clear that there is a defined distinction for why Brown deserves the NBA MVP. He was able to erase all narratives that the Celtics would suck without Tatum. Not to mention, a lot of analysts did not even think that they would win more than 40 games because of their offseason transactions. An NBA player outlined why all of this would make the Celtics star more deserving than others.
"In terms of what the team lost last year, to come in with the low expectations there were and to see the standings now, it’s because of him and the level of play he’s been at. He does it on both ends at a super high level. He’s consistent every night," he declared.
Notably, Brown has not been actively campaigning to win the NBA MVP award like Victor Wembanyama. He is more focused on getting Tatum back to his former self, executing Coach Mazzulla's schemes properly, and getting the Celtics their 19th banner. This soon-to-be all-time great is clearly a team player and it will help him reap a lot of benefits.
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Q&A
What percentage of votes did Jaylen Brown receive in the MVP race?
Jaylen Brown received 8.2% of the votes in the NBA Anonymous Player Poll.
Who are the top contenders for the NBA MVP award this season?
The top contenders are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 39% of the votes, Nikola Jokic with 21.4%, and Jaylen Brown, Cade Cunningham, and Luka Doncic, each with 8.2%.
Why is Jaylen Brown considered a strong candidate for NBA MVP?
Jaylen Brown is considered a strong MVP candidate due to his ability to lead the Celtics successfully despite the absence of Jayson Tatum and skepticism about the team's performance.
