Jaylen Brown has placed a definitive stamp on the NBA MVP map. Stepping up as the offensive focal point in Jayson Tatum‘s absence, he’s led the Boston Celtics to a top-two seed in the Eastern Conference (and one of the best records in the NBA) this season. And now, his hard work is providing him with ever more accolades.
This week, Brown was voted to be an NBA All-Star starter for the first time in his career.
Celtics Leader Jaylen Brown To Start In 2026 NBA All-Star Game
In 2026, the annual NBA All-Star game will feature four first-time starters. The Eastern Conference houses all four of those first-timers: Brown, New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson, Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham, and Philadelphia 76ers point guard Tyrese Maxey. Brown holds the most All-Star appearances out of this group with five.
With the stars showing out this season, each of them is carrying their respective team. In fact, Cunningham is hearing his name in MVP conversations as a result of the tremendous season Detroit is having. Brunson has also routinely been mentioned as a 2025-26 NBA MVP candidate.
Although the season started somewhat rough and rocky, Brown’s evolution as a primary option quickly corrected the Celtics’ 0-3 opening. His multiple Player of the Week awards and favorable MVP polling made this All-Star appearance a no-brainer.
Averaging 29.8 points per game, Brown is behind only Maxey (30.0 points per game) among the Eastern Conference All-Star starters in scoring. Again, his multitude of prolific scoring performances have been the primary reason Boston remains in title contention this season. This is a surprise because this season was expected to be similar to a gap year, given the Achilles injury Tatum suffered in the 2025 NBA Playoffs. Despite this adversity, the Celtics remain a dark horse championship-contender. That is, assuming Tatum’s return is not rushed, and Brown can maintain his outstanding play.
Jaylen Brown’s Past All-Star Performances
This year’s All-Star Game will be different, with the NBA looking to introduce a USA vs. World format. This could create complications around what to expect for this season’s competition.
Here’s a look back at Brown’s previous performances and what can be expected for the 2026 game:
Brown earned an All-Star spot in four out of the previous five seasons (2021, 2023, 2024, and 2025). He certainly had impressive performances in multiple games, scoring 35 points in 2023 and 36 points in 2024. It’s a very arduous task to make an impact coming off the bench in an All-Star Game, with no guarantees about minutes or touches. Yet, Brown has done just that. Those scoring outbursts each came in under 30 minutes of action.
The more difficult piece of quantifying these stats comes down to the formatting of the competition itself, which has changed many times over several seasons now. Last year, the All-Star Game even had multiple teams constructed to play in a tournament-style format. However, Brown may be in an advantageous position in this year’s competition as a result of his offensive evolution.
Does He Have Any Chance To Win The 2026 NBA All-Star Game MVP Award?
Though already named an All-Star Game starter for the first time, Brown has a chance to add another notch on his belt during the All-Star Weekend festivities. The increased playing time, combined with his aggressive offense and tenacious defense, could result in another first-time achievement for the two-way superstar. Namely, the Kobe Bryant MVP Award, which is given to the best performer of the NBA All-Star Game.
If the 29-year-old’s previous All-Star appearances are any indicator, then he has a great chance to win the prestigious award.
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