Georgia is Boston Celtics starting shooting guard Jaylen Brown’s home state.
It just so happens to be the home of Atlanta Hawks legend (and former Celtic) Dominique Wilkins as well.
So, it was not a minor deal when said Hawks legend sought out the Marietta native to laud Brown’s growth as a player while both were in town for Boston’s 123-115 win over Atlanta Monday.
Wilkins, who carved out a Hall of Fame career over a dozen years with the Hawks before a short stint with the Celtics in the mid-1990s, had praise for the Cal-Berkeley product’s development and poise.
The fourth-year guard is putting up career-high numbers this season that, in retrospect, probably warranted an All-Star reserve nod.
Jaylen Brown and Dominique Wilkins shared some words pregame yesterday. (@DWilkins21) pic.twitter.com/gP0IbEqa1O
— JJ (@JameelahJNBA) February 4, 2020
Logging 20.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 37.8 % from deep and 56.5 % overall, Brown garnered Player of the Week in the East for the second time this week despite the All-Star snub.
“You’re representing home well,” noted the Atlanta legend (via the Boston Herald’s Steve Bulpett), to which a potential future local luminary responded simply “I’m trying to”.
And Brown has been doing more than trying — he has been a key driver of the Celtics’ unanticipated levels of success this season, keeping the team in the contention hunt despite losing two top-50 players over the summer as part of a four-man hydra that has made Boston almost impossible to guard.
“You there, brother,” added Wilkins. “Don’t even worry about that.”
Wilkins, as a matter of fact, is also a buyer on Brown as an All-Star, and is pleased with how the Georgian guard has blossomed into a elite player.
“I’ve know this guy since he was a kid. I saw guys like Lou Williams and Derrick Favors and Jaylen grow up. I knew them as kids. I remember how big he was for a guy his age — and he was physical. He had size and he was athletic. He was big for his age.”
What Wilkins likes even more about the former Golden Bear is his consummate professionalism in the throes of the chaos of last season, which saw Brown forced to take a step back after carrying his team to the brink of the NBA Finals to a bench role.
“He’s acted like a consummate professional … There were times when he heard different things, like was he going to get traded or not, and he hung in there and he grew as a basketball player. He grew as a person. He’s always shown respect, and I love guys like that.”
Brown has grown immensely as a player in the last two seasons, both in skill and how he’s navigated complicated situations.
Celtic notebook from ATL:
— Jaylen Brown has another Player of the Week award… and a big fan in Dominique Wilkins
— Injury updates
— Brad Stevens and Evan Turner talk about each other's coaching. Hilarity ensues. https://t.co/ppXNGs2DbY— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) February 4, 2020
He arrived in Boston an uber-athletic, intellectual kid — but in a few short years has learned to direct his physical and intellectual gifts with precision and not just intensity.
It’s that fine-tuning that has made the Georgian such a potent on-court force.
It’s also the driving force behind Brown’s off-court achievements that has helped him use his platforms in ways which extend far beyond basketball.
The 23-year-old carries the mantle of budding star well in a league known for chewing up and spitting out prospects who take their opportunities for granted, not only excelling as a player but as a person, representing himself, the league, and the communities he’s called home quite well.
Take it from ‘Nique, if not us.
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