"She was in my dream and gave me a hug": Finals MVP Jaylen Brown breaks down in emotional tribute to late grandmother
When the Boston Celtics lost Game 7 last year to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Finals, Jaylen Brown was inconsolable. Jayson Tatum suffered an ankle injury in the first play of the said showdown and wasn’t able to perform as expected. The Celtics looked up to Brown to take up the slack and the shooting guard admitted that he “failed” his team.
Roughly a year later, “JB” proved that he learned from those past mistakes. He won the 2024 NBA Finals MVP after leading the Boston Celtics to a 4-1 win over the Dallas Mavericks. Brown shut down the doubters and did what he felt he should have done two years ago.
After the Boston Celtics won the 2024 Larry O’Brien Trophy, Jaylen Brown opened up on an inspiration:
“I wish my grandmother was here to see this moment. I woke up from a pregame nap and I had a dream. My grandma was in my dream and she gave me a hug this afternoon.
"I just knew everything was gonna be alright. … She was so pivotal and important in my life. It’s just awesome. I know she will be proud of me.”
Diane Varnado passed away in March 2023. He desperately wanted to give her the 2022 NBA championship as a gift. Although he couldn’t do it at that time, he never forgot one of his biggest inspirations to win the ultimate prize in pro basketball.
Jaylen Brown couldn’t hold back the tears when he remembered his grandmother. His happiness was tinged with sadness knowing how much she would have relished what he had accomplished. Still, her memory continued to help him finish the job he couldn’t do two years before.
Jaylen Brown’s grandmother would have been proud of his NBA Finals performance
The Boston Celtics needed everything they had to contain perhaps the most devastating backcourt duo in NBA history. Jaylen Brown’s offense was unquestionable. Boston needed him to step up on the other end to help shackle Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic.
With the memory of his 2022 failure probably still haunting him, he answered the bell on both sides of the ball for the Celtics. He took on the unenviable job of shadowing Doncic, allowing Jrue Holiday to guard Kyrie Irving. Jayson Tatum was also given the freedom to handle Dallas’s big men in the paint.
In the end, Jaylen Brown’s grandmother would have been proud of him for how he made “Luka Magic” work hard for every shot. His defense and clutch scoring through the playoffs were a big reason the Celtics will be raising banner No. 18.
Diane Varnado wasn’t around in Game 5 for the Brown. She was, however, a big part of why the All-Star guard had a game-changing impact on both ends of the floor. “JB” was right. She would have been proud of him.