NBA
Who was the MVP in the 2024 NBA Finals?
The Boston Celtics saw out a 4-1 series victory over the Dallas Mavericks, clinching a record 18th NBA championship.
Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown put up 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists in Game 5, helping his team to an 18th NBA championship and earning himself the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP.
The 27-year-old had struggled in Game 4 against the Dallas Mavericks, held to just 10 points as the Mavs looked to have clawed their way back into the series. But Brown proved decisive in Game 5 back in Boston and took the game away from the Mavericks with a 15-point first half performance as his team roared to a 67-46 lead.
Earlier in the series Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd called Jaylen Brown the best player on the Celtics’ roster in an attempt to rile up the opposition. It appears to have done exactly the opposite, helping to bind together this dominant Celtics team.
Jaylen Brown stats show all-round Finals influence
Going into the Finals series Boston’s offensive duo - Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum - had each been tipped to claim the MVP award if the Celtics were victorious. Both players put in impressive performances throughout the five-game series but Brown walks away with the Bill Russell trophy.
Across the series Brown averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and five assists as part of a relentlessly physical Celtics team. Tatum’s top line stats are actually slightly more impressive - 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists - and Brown paid tribute to his “partner in crime” after picking up the award.
“It was a full team effort,” Brown said after being awarded the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP trophy. “I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime, Jayson Tatum. He was with me the whole way. I’ve been grateful for every moment, every opportunity. I never hung my head.”