Boston Celtics
“His grandfather is brothers with my grandfather,” Jaylen Brown said of A.J. Brown.
Jaylen Brown during a February game with the Celtics. AP Photo/David Zalubowski
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Jaylen Brown and A.J. Brown are stars in their respective sports. Both players have won a championship. They’re both 29 years old. One is leaving Boston for Philadelphia, and the other came to Boston from Philadelphia earlier this summer.
They’re also apparently related to each other, former Celtic Jaylen Brown told reporters during an appearance at the 7uice Foundation’s Summer Bridge program at M.I.T.
“What’s crazy is that we’re cousins,” Brown said in a video posted by NBC Sports Boston. “I didn’t know that. My grandpa just told me. I think we’re cousins. I don’t think he knows that either. His grandfather is brothers with my grandfather.”
Jaylen, who will turn 30 in October, is older than A.J who turned 29 last month.
They both have southern roots. Jaylen grew up in Marietta, Georgia, which is a suburb of Atlanta. A.J. grew up in Starkville, Mississippi, which is the home of Mississippi State University.
A.J. chose to play college football at MSU’s rival, Ole Miss, where he was a freshman during Brown’s rookie season with the Celtics in the fall of 2016.
Both players won titles in 2024. A.J. had three catches for 43 yards and a touchdown in Super Bowl LIX that February, helping the Eagles beat the Chiefs 40-22.
Jaylen was named NBA Finals MVP after the Celtics beat the Mavericks in June. He averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists during the five-game series.
The Celtics traded Jaylen to the 76ers last Monday for Paul George, a pair of first-round picks, and a pair of second-round picks. The Eagles traded A.J. to the Patriots last month for a first-round pick and a fifth round pick.
The Eagles will come to Foxborough for joint practices with the Patriots on August 19th and 20th before playing a preseason game against each other on August 2022. The Eagles are not on the Patriots’ regular-season schedule.
The Celtics and 76ers are in the same division, and they’ve met more times in the playoffs than any other pairing in NBA history. They have also met in the preseason in two of the last three years. This year’s Celtics preseason schedule has not been released yet.
The Patriots, fresh off of an appearance in the Super Bowl, added A.J. to one of the NFL most potent passing attacks. The Patriots led the league in completion percentage (71.9) and yards per passing attempt (8.8). They finished fourth in passing yards per game (250.4), and tied for sixth in passing touchdowns (31).
The Celtics, who blew a 3-1 playoff series lead for the first time in franchise history against the 76ers this past postseason, reshaped their roster this offseason, bringing in George, center Mitchell Robinson, and point guard Mike Conley.
The 76ers have added Jaylen to a roster that includes multi-time all-stars Tyrese Maxey and Joel Embiid, along with First-Team All-Rookie selection V.J. Edgecombe.
Both Brown cousins are aiming for their second championship. One will try to bring another Super Bowl to the Patriots. The Celtics will likely have to go through the other one if they want to make it out of the East in the playoffs.
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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