‘Grateful’ Jaylen shares heartfelt message on 28th birthday

“All the people that’s been on the journey with me, shoutout to you guys.”

Jaylen Brown celebrated his 28th birthday with a standout performance in the Boston Celtics’ 122-102 win over the Washington Wizards on Thursday night.

Brown dropped a game-high 27 points with eight rebounds, four steals, and three assists. He has scored at least 20 points in each of the three games he has played on his birthday during his NBA career.

After the Celtics’ victory, Brown caught up with NBC Sports Boston’s Abby Chin to reflect on his incredible 28-year journey.

“It’s been amazing,” he said. “I think everything has gone according to plan. All praise to the most high, man. I’m so grateful. I’m grateful for everything. I’m grateful for all the highs and the lows.

“All the people that’s been on the journey with me, shoutout to you guys. I’m looking forward to the next 28. And let’s have a great season.”

Brown has accomplished an incredible amount on and off the court since being drafted third overall by the Celtics in 2016. The C’s signed him to a five-year contract extension worth a record $304 million before the 2023-24 campaign. The three-time All-Star topped off arguably the best season of his career with Eastern Conference Finals MVP and NBA Finals MVP honors.

At only 22 years old, Brown became the youngest elected vice president of the National Basketball Players Association. He also makes a difference in the community through his 7uice Foundation, which addresses social issues such as education and income inequality.

Brown launched his own sportswear and shoe brand 741 over the summer. His teammate Payton Pritchard wore the 741 shoes on Thursday night and drilled a shot from way beyond halfcourt, though it didn’t count as it was just a tad after the third-quarter buzzer.

“Payton’s a dog, man. But I think tonight it was the shoes,” Brown told Chin. “The shoes he had on I think made the difference.”

Pritchard finished with 15 points on 5 of 10 shooting from 3-point range, so he may want to wear Brown’s 741s again when the C’s visit the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.