'Disrespectful and Nasty' -- NBA Voters 'Shading' Jaylen Brown in 2026 MVP Race Leaves Hall of Famer Stumped Jaylen Brown is focused on settling into his new team, the Philadelphia 76ers, but the legacy he built with the Boston Celtics will not be forgotten. His final season in Boston was the best of his career statistically, but he was heavily overlooked in the MVP race, which even Hall of Famer Tracy McGrady found surprising. Tracy McGrady Blasts MVP Voters Over Jaylen Brown’s Controversial Snub McGrady is triggered by the MVP voters, as Brown produced the best statistical season of his career last season and carried Boston while Jayson Tatum missed significant time. However, Brown ultimately finished sixth in MVP voting even after cementing himself as one of the NBA’s elite two-way players. Brown averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists per game during the regular season. However, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander claimed the MVP award, Nikola Jokić finished as the runner-up, and Victor Wembanyama was among the finalists, leaving Brown out of serious MVP consideration. McGrady said he was frustrated by the lack of recognition Brown received from MVP voters. “I don’t like some of the things that happened with JB, shading him from things that he actually earned,” McGrady said on the “Cousins” podcast. “If you look at it, if anybody would have put up those types of numbers last year under the circumstances with Boston, with JT being out and no expectations for them to do anything in the Eastern Conference, they would have been second, runner-up, or MVP, averaging 28 points and being second in the East. “To place him what, fourth or fifth? It’s so disrespectful and just nasty work what we doing out here, man.”
Brown has consistently embraced proving doubters wrong throughout his career. When many questioned whether he deserved the supermax extension in 2023, he answered by helping Boston win the 2024 NBA championship and earning Finals MVP honors. As Brown built his MVP case last season, LeBron James was among those who publicly endorsed him after the Celtics defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 111-89 in February behind Brown’s 32-point performance. Since Brown was rarely mentioned in MVP discussions, James admitted he did not understand why the five-time All-Star’s name was not getting talked about as well. MORE:Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Ex-Teammate Doesn’t Believe Heat Superstar Can Surpass Jimmy Butler’s Miami Stint James also suggested that MVP voting can become “a popularity contest sometimes,” while McGrady believes Brown’s treatment reflected something even deeper. “It makes you look at, across the board, going back, all the dirty [expletive] y’all have been doing just because you have a vendetta or you have some certain personal feelings about a particular player that you don’t want to give him his just due,” McGrady continued. “That man earned that right. That’s the thing I don’t like about sports; I don’t like about our league. It’s nasty work.” The discussion is expected to continue heading into the next NBA season, but Brown will have another opportunity to strengthen his MVP résumé with Philadelphia. Playing alongside James, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers are projected to contend for an NBA championship. With the upcoming season seen as a potential revenge campaign, it will be worth watching whether Brown can lead his new team to the top while finally winning the MVP award. This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.