The Boston Celtics' careful investment paid off handsomely as they finally won a coveted championship this season. With a 106-88 victory over the Mavericks in the Game 5 showdown at TD Garden Arena, the Celtics gracefully wrapped up the series in a gentlemanly sweep.

Green General Manager Brad Stevens has been instrumental in assembling this championship team. With a series of shrewd trade moves, he built a roster around the team's twin stars Tatum and Brown, and eventually led the team to overcome difficulties and climb to the top of the basketball world.

Last offseason, a hot topic of discussion was whether the Celtics should offer one of their twins, Jaylen Brown, a supermax contract extension. In the end, Brown surprised some by signing one of the most valuable contracts in NBA history, worth about $304 million over five years.

To be fair, the last thing many people remember about Brown may be Game 7 of last year's Eastern Conference finals against the Heat, in which he played poorly. However, all the questions and talk about Brown's contract seemed unfounded after this season's playoffs. In this playoff journey, Brown proved with action how wise the Celtics' choice is, and even brought more surprises.

The Celtics are undoubtedly the best team in basketball today, and there is no doubt that without Brown's outstanding contributions, they could not have achieved this season's brilliant achievements. Not only did he prove that the team's faith in him was rewarded, but he also brought something extra.

The road to the East

While Tatum's scoring efficiency against the Mavericks was much discussed and questioned in the Finals, it wasn't the first time he struggled in the playoffs. In the first round series against the Heat, Tatum's play was not satisfactory.

While Tatum was underperforming, Brown shone. While Brown's three-point shooting has slipped, he has remained an efficient scorer throughout the series, contributing key points for his team.

When the Celtics faced the Cavaliers in the second round, Tatum returned to form and improved his scoring, while Brown also played steadily, and the two led the team forward.

The Celtics' Twin Stars played well in the series against the Cavaliers, just as they had before against the Heat, where they closed the series 4-1. Tatum has shown his playmaking ability on offense, while Brown has taken on heavy responsibility on defense.
As the perfect partner for Tatum, Brown's efficient scoring provides the team with necessary firepower support. In the second round of the playoffs, Brown had three games where he shot 60 percent or better from the field. Tatum, as the team's first option, draws a lot of attention on the defensive end, which creates more opportunities for Brown to score. Tatum knows he can count on Brown as a reliable teammate whenever he misses a shot.

That sense of safety and security has greatly eased the pressure on Tatum. While this intangible value is hard to quantify, Brown's augmentation in this respect cannot be ignored.

Eastern Conference MVP

On stage in the Eastern Conference Finals, Jaylen Brown finally began to reap the individual accolades that were long overdue.

Living in the shadow of others can be challenging, because it means it's hard to get the recognition and praise you deserve. Everyone has probably gone through a time when they've tried hard but just haven't been fully appreciated.

While Brown has been named an All-Star several times before, and even made the All-NBA team in 2022-23, his name comes up again and again whenever honors are discussed. The Eastern Conference finals against the Pacers was the turning point for Brown to change this status quo.

Browns vs. Pacers series stats:

Brown shone against the Pacers, averaging 29.8 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 0.8 blocks per game, shooting 51.7 percent from the field and 37 percent from 3-point range. His performance was so good that he finally earned the attention and praise he deserved. His outstanding performance also earned him the honor of the Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player.

In the series sweep against the Pacers, Brown produced many memorable moments. Most notably in Game 1, he hit that crucial three-pointer just before the end of regulation to send the game into overtime and eventually help the Celtics complete their comeback. His 40-point performance in Game 2 was equally impressive.

The Pacers were surprisingly competitive against the Celtics. With the exception of the second game, every other game has been very close, within five points. There is no doubt that the outcome of the series could have been very different had it not been for Brown's excellent play in these tight and exciting games.
Finals MVP

On the glittering stage of the Finals, Brown proved once again that he is an integral and key piece in the well-oiled Boston Celtics basketball machine. Although this story is familiar to many people, its importance is still worth repeating.

In this series, Brown's performance stability once again became the focus of the audience. Against the Lone Ranger, Tatum failed to break the 40 percent mark from the field. Despite his other contributions, the burden of stability and reliability once again fell on Brown.

In the five games of the Finals, Brown averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.6 steals and 0.8 blocks, shooting 44% from the field and 23.5% from 3-point range

Despite his disappointing three-point shooting, Brown has been a reliable point getter for the Celtics in the series. He has scored 20 or more points in four of his five matchups with the Mavericks. The only game that failed to live up to that standard was Game 4, in which the Lone Rangers released all the frustration they had accumulated in the series with a spirited blowout win.

Brown also shouldered the burden of guarding Doncic for long stretches throughout the series. Although Doncic still has an excellent performance, his number of turnovers has increased significantly. Clearly, Brown is causing Doncic a lot of trouble on the defensive end, although he can't completely limit him. To be fair, a complete blockade of Doncic would be an almost impossible task.

In the end, with his unremitting efforts, Brown won the award of Finals MVP. One of the highest-paid players in NBA history, he played a crucial role in helping the team that pays him to win a championship.

Mr Brown's title will not last long. With the new collective bargaining Agreement (CBA) and broadcast rights deals, the value of player contracts will only increase. Still, it reinforced the Celtics' belief that they made the right decision to re-sign Brown.