Jaylen Brown's All-Star start a vindication of him as a player? 'Not for me'

DETROIT -- Jaylen Brown is an All-Star starter for the first time in his career. It’s a nice accomplishment for a player who has wanted the ball as a number one option for quite some time, and is proving that he is worthy of the honor.

“Well deserved,” said his teammate Payton Pritchard after the team’s loss to the Pistons. “He's had a heck of a year, unbelievable player, and he's leading us this year, and we're the number two team in the east, so definitely deserving.”

For Brown, the honor symbolizes the culmination of all the work he’s put in to be a leader and to step into the number one role. It’s a validation of his own belief that he’s been capable of doing what he’s done this season.

“I mean, I guess,” he said, rejecting that notion. “Not for me.”

Arighty then.

“I’m a very confident guy, so I don’t allow people to tell me what my validation is,” he continued. “I’ve always felt like I was better than a lot of these guys, but it doesn’t come down to what I think and feel. It comes down to media, fan vote, all that type of stuff.”

That's Jaylen Brown for you. Partly confident, partly contrarian, Brown isn’t going to break character at a time like this. He has always believed he can thrive in this role, so being named an All-Star starter isn’t so much validation as it is the expected result of these circumstances. He has routinely reminded us that he has taken a step back for the sake of team success.

When Anfernee Simons went off for 39 points to save the Celtics, Brown did the smart thing and let Simons cook down the stretch. After the game, he was asked about taking that step for the sake of letting the hat hand cook, Brown said, “I’ve done that my whole career. I’ve played alongside Jayson Tatum, so it’s nothing new.”

It was telling in its dismissiveness. He doesn’t care about doing it, but he doesn’t care to talk about it, either. This season isn't about all that stuff. This season is about Brown doing all the things he's always known he can do. This season isn't about discussing what Brown isn't doing on the floor, it's about what he is doing.

"I think for him, it kind of started in the offseason," Joe Mazzulla said. "It's the way he's done it. Obviously his ability to score, but it's come from just his leadership and his defensive mentality and really just making us a better team and speaking to that leadership."

Brown has called this season his favorite so far, maybe because he's been able to get away from what he thinks are unfair perceptions of his game. This honor is less vindication for him and more culmination of everything he's worked towards. He is, though, happy to get it for one very important reason.

"I’m just grateful because I know it means a lot to my support group," he said. "They knew the type of talent I was from Day 1 and it means a lot to them to see me in these spaces, so shout out to them."