Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown played the closing stretch of the season and the playoffs while managing a partially torn meniscus in his right knee, according to reports.
Brown was battling significant knee pain throughout the final month of the regular season and into the Eastern Conference semi-finals, which ended with a Game 6 defeat to the New York Knicks on Friday.
Having now been knocked out, Brown will undergo further medical tests this week to determine whether surgery is required to address the injury.
ESPN say that Brown had been receiving pain-relieving injections in the affected knee since March, in an effort to stay on the court.
Despite missing the last three regular-season games due to the injury, Brown adapted his playing style and remained in the lineup throughout the playoffs. Over the postseason, he averaged 22.1 points and 7.1 rebounds.
After the season-ending loss at Madison Square Garden, Brown admitted that the campaign has taken a physical toll on him.
REPORT: Jaylen Brown was playing through a partially torn meniscus during the playoffs, per @ramonashelburne pic.twitter.com/x1fbmQO4ZM
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) May 17, 2025
“I don’t make excuses,” he said. “Obviously, it’s tough the way we went out like tonight, but the way we finished the year, personally, the way I finished the year, persevering through some physical stuff that I was battling through, I’m proud of our group.”
Boston’s playoff hopes were further diminished by other key injuries, including Jayson Tatum’s torn Achilles tendon sustained in Game 4 and lingering health issues for center Kristaps Porzingis, who had been dealing with illness-related fatigue in recent months.
As the Celtics look toward the offseason, Brown’s injury status may have an impact on the future at the franchise, with it expected that the team could break up in an effort to land No.1 draft pick Cooper Flagg in the near future.
