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Jaylen Brown believes there have been times when he's been underappreciated. He doesn't appreciate the negative connotation that comes with that word, though. "At times it's been that," Brown told NBC Sports Boston's Michael Holley during an exclusive interview as part of our 7 Days of Jaylen Brown content series. "But that comes with the decisions that you make. "In order to be a winner, you've got to sacrifice to be a part of the team, and nothing's wrong with that. People make this seem like it's a complaint or I'm complaining. No, I'll make that decision every time over. But that doesn't mean you're not capable of doing more. That doesn't mean you're not capable of displaying a higher level of talent." MORE CELTICS COVERAGE There's nuance to the conversation, Brown acknowledged. "I want the young people to know that there's nothing wrong with contributing to a team, contributing to a goal that's bigger than you," Brown said. "It doesn't always have to be about you. There's a lot of honor in that. I think that people are very self-obsessed. So, it's like it has to be about them. They wanna be able to show the world who they are and what they can do. For me, it's always been about the team. "I've always been the team guy," he continued. "I never had a problem, you know what I mean? Never had an issue with anything when it comes to contributing and winning a goal. "When you say 'underappreciated,' I think sometimes people forget like who you are, what you're capable of, or if you went somewhere else, what that would look like. That's just a part of it," Brown said. "I don't -- when you say underappreciated it doesn't have to have a negative connotation to it. I think it's fine. But at times like now, when the team looks different, have an opportunity to step up and show more." Not only will Brown have the opportunity to show more, he'll need to for the Celtics to have success. Boston enters the season with Jayson Tatum sidelined due to an Achilles tear. The C's traded Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday this offseason while Al Horford and Luke Kornet signed elsewhere. It's a much different team than the ones Brown has been on in recent years. That presents an opportunity for the four-time NBA All-Star, and Brown believes his playmaking is one area where he will take a step forward. "I've been put in that role over the last two years to be more of a playmaker," said Brown, who is coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 4.5 assists. "My assists have taken a jump and I think this year would be a good display of like me being able to make plays for others." It's fair to believe Brown won't feel underappreciated for much longer.
