“He Made Me Better”: Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla Breaks Silence on Jaylen Brown’s Departure

A week after the Boston Celtics traded guard Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla gave Brown his flowers for the impact he had on the team. Despite the shock of losing an MVP-caliber player, Mazzulla found one silver lining.

While he was surprised that the front office decided to let Brown go, Mazzulla couldn't do a thing but move on. He spoke to Celtics reporter Bobby Manning about how Brown helped him become a better mentor for the Celtics.

"There's an emotion that goes into it. There's a processing pattern that goes into it … he made me a better coach. I know that for a fact, the way he pushed me, the way he pushed himself, the way he pushed the locker room, he made me a better coach, and that's what you focus on."

Many questioned the trade, especially knowing that Brown is an MVP-caliber player. Before his departure, JB was named the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP in 2024.

With conflicting public opinion on the trade, Celtics general manager and president Brad Stevens cleared the air on why he wanted Paul George over Brown, via Celtics Wire.

"Paul's a really good player. We're not very far removed from Paul sitting in our series against Philadelphia, and watching Paul be a guy who could carry you for portions of a quarter or a half. But also play a complementary role on both ends of the floor at the highest of levels."

Last season, George averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists. While those are numbers that will help Jayson Tatum and the Celtics, it's nowhere close to Brown's average of 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.0 steals. Brown had to hold down the fort as Tatum was absent for almost the whole of the 2025 season, leading Boston to the playoffs.

Another main issue that the Celtics might need to face is George's availability on the court. In the past two seasons with the Sixers, PG only played a total of 78 games, not even completing an entire campaign. While Paul's absences are attributed to suspensions and injury, it is still concerning for the Celtics.

Brown, on the other hand, is already making moves for the Sixers before he even takes the court.

Jaylen Brown ambitious urge to land LeBron in Philadelphia

It seems that Jaylen Brown is already looking forward to his upcoming stint with the Philadelphia 76ers alongside Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. Those three alone, especially with Embiid staying healthy, could be a huge threat in the Eastern Conference.

However, Brown is being ambitious with his new roster. In a recent Twitch stream with YouTuber and livestreamer IShowSpeed, JB humorously asked Speed to help him out with recruiting LeBron James to the Sixers.

"So, you gotta tell LeBron, 'You gotta pull up, man. Pull up to Philly.'"

With Embiid and Maxey's formidable dribble handoff play, James' playmaking and Brown's shooting, the Sixers could become a serious threat in the East.

As of July, the Sixers are one of the five frontrunners in the LeBron James sweepstakes. James has reportedly left the business transactions up to his agent, Rich Paul. The King will bless teams with his presence once he's ready to commit to a team.