Jaylen Brown is thoroughly enjoying his time as the Boston Celtics’ undisputed No. 1 option.
Winning games and leading the Celtics to a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference entering Christmas is the priority, but silencing doubters along the way has been a welcome bonus.
“There was a lot of people waiting for me to fall on my face this season,” Brown said on his Twitch stream Monday night after a win over the Indiana Pacers (h/t @lockedupjb). “They had the tweets loaded, ready for me to fail — still waiting on it. And I’m just gonna tell them, keep waiting.”
Brown isn’t just stepping up to the challenge — he’s authoring a historic season. With 31 points on Monday, he’s now scored 30 or more in seven straight games. That ties Paul Pierce for the second-longest such streak in Celtics history, trailing only Larry Bird’s nine-game run in 1985 (h/t @realapp).
Over the coming week, Brown has a real chance to chase down that mark and close out 2025 in legendary fashion.
Jaylen Brown Thriving as Celtics' No. 1 Option
Brown’s elite offensive output is the primary reason the Celtics haven’t stumbled in Jayson Tatum’s absence the way many expected.
As of Tuesday, his 29.4 points per game rank fifth in the NBA. And those totals aren’t empty numbers — they’re driving one of the league’s most efficient offenses. Following Monday’s win, Boston ranks fourth in offensive rating (120.8).
Without the same level of offensive support as in previous seasons, Brown has been forced to create more of his own looks than ever before. According to Cleaning the Glass, 34% of his made field goals are unassisted — the lowest assisted rate of any wing in the NBA. Simply put, he’s calling his own number as often as anyone in the league.
He’s also getting to his spots with unprecedented consistency. Brown is finishing at the rim at a career-high 72.6% clip and is just shy of his career-best midrange efficiency at 47.9%, per Cleaning the Glass. Producing near-peak efficiency while carrying a career-high workload underscores just how complete his scoring evolution has become.
Larry Bird's Historical Record Is Within Reach
With the Celtics’ upcoming schedule, the opportunity to make history is real. Brown needs three more 30-point games to surpass Bird’s record. All three of Boston’s next opponents rank in the bottom half of the league in defensive rating and points allowed.
First up is a rematch with the Pacers on Dec. 26 — against whom Brown extended his streak on Monday. That performance was especially impressive given his slow start (4-for-12 in the first half) and limited third-quarter minutes after head coach Joe Mazzulla benched the starters to spark a comeback.
From there, Boston heads west to close out the calendar year, beginning with a trip to Portland. The Trail Blazers boast intriguing defensive pieces — Toumani Camara, an All-NBA Defensive Second Team selection last season, and Donovan Clingan, one of the league’s premier rim protectors — but the numbers tell a different story. Portland ranks 21st in defensive rating and 25th in points allowed per game. It’s likely Brown’s toughest matchup of the stretch, yet still a favorable one.
Finally, to surpass Bird’s record, the Celtics will face the Utah Jazz. Brown scored 36 points in a frustrating loss to Utah back in November, when Boston was still finding its footing. Since then, the Celtics are 13–6, and Brown is averaging 30.5 points per game. Against the NBA’s 30th-ranked defense by rating, a record-breaking eruption is firmly on the table.
Cementing His All-Time Celtics Stature
Whether or not Brown ultimately breaks Bird’s record, he’s already delivering one of the greatest individual seasons in franchise history.
His 29.4 points per game would rank as the third-highest scoring average ever by a Celtic. He’s shooting 49.7% from the field, and if that holds, he’d become the first Boston player since Bird in 1988 to average at least 25 points per game on that level of efficiency (h/t @SleeperCeltics).
Brown’s elite scoring has already cemented this as a career-defining season, one that’s keeping the Celtics firmly in playoff contention. It doesn’t just validate his evolution as a No. 1 option — it may also be setting the stage for one of the most impactful late-season returns in NBA history if Jayson Tatum reenters the picture.