The Philadelphia 76ers pulled off one of the biggest moves of the summer when they acquired Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics for Paul George, two first-round picks, and two second-round picks. It was a shocking move in the moment and it's still mind-boggling when one thinks about it. Brown is coming off a season in which he averaged 28.7 points as he took his impressive game to another level to keep the Celtics in contention despite what some might say should have been a "gap year" for them when considering the Jayson Tatum injury. Brown threw the Celtics on his back and led them to a 56-26 record and the No. 2 seed in the East despite the challenges they faced. With that being said, ever since the trade, Brown has dealt with a lot of weird criticism, as many have attacked his character. He addressed those critics, and he has a supporter in 2-time champion Rajon Rondo, as it appears Philadelphia will receive a motivated star in the upcoming season:
A pissed off Jaylen Brown. Like, you know what I mean? Like, the disrespect He’s had throughout the summer. When you get players in that type of mode, or they’re coming off a season like that he's had and he's got so much to prove. Come on, man. It’s gonna be scary for the league.
Rondo says a PISSED OFF Jaylen Brown should have the entire league worried “ A pissed off Jaylen Brown… like, you know what I mean? Like, the disrespect He’s had throughout the summer, him. You know, when you get players in that type of mode, or they’re coming off a season… pic.twitter.com/5U2gsyCbww — MAL (@MindOfBron) August 15, 2026 A very motivated Brown could be scary for the entire league. The Sixers are already talented and are looking to get over the hump with the roster they have, but with Brown still looking to prove people wrong, it could change things for Philadelphia. This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: 2-time champ believes Sixers are getting a motivated Jaylen Brown