“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well.” This is what LeBron James said about Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown not too long ago when both their teams clashed against each other. Receiving an MVP endorsement from a four-time MVP must mean something, right? Absolutely. That’s why even the 29-year-old is backing himself, but with just a little twist, though.

During a recent appearance, Brown claimed that he’s the best two-way player in the league right now. Well, he sure has been phenomenal for the Celtics this season, averaging 28.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. And could be the best, after all, or that’s what he thought until his livestream chat pointed out that there exists a certain 7-foot-4 Frenchman in the league. After which, the Cs forward confessed.

“That boy Wemby is a problem,” Brown said. “When I say, I’m the best two-way player in the league, it’s not counting Wemby. Wemby don’t count. He’s not even human. I’m the best human player.”

Brown straight-up put San Antonio Spurs starlet Victor Wembanyama in a different category altogether. Which, in hindsight, does seem fair, given the kind of skillset the 22-year-old possesses, despite having such a huge frame. In fact, this isn’t the first time anyone has separated Wembanyama from the rest of us mere mortals, as he’s often referred to as an alien for his towering height and extraordinary skills.

We mean, has there ever been a guy with his height who could handle the ball so well? Perhaps not. And there might never even be another player like Victor Wembanyama, at least for the foreseeable future. He’s just a freak of nature who can almost do anything on the basketball court. In fact, the second-year big man has already started to cement his place as one of the best in the league.

Just this season, he’s averaging 23.8 points, 11.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 3.0 blocks per game. This has massively helped the Silver & Black, who currently boast an incredible 46-17 record. This goes to show why Jaylen Brown didn’t want to include him among the rest of the players. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean Brown isn’t up to any good this season. As a matter of fact, he might be marching toward his first MVP honors.

Jaylen Brown deserves to be in the MVP conversation

Well, LeBron James isn’t the only one who’s putting forward a case for Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown’s name to be taken into MVP conversations; many others also agree with the King. Among those is Denver Nuggets sensation Nikola Jokic, who believes the fact that he’s been able to lead the Cs despite Jayson Tatum being out for up until now is impressive enough.

“He doesn’t have his partner in crime, but he’s still proving that he can lead the team, and he’s playing on a high level, scoring the ball, and he’s such a good defensive player too, so playing on both sides of the floor,” Jokic said. “And like I said, I think the versatility of him that he can play both sides of the court and still score and still be dominant and still be top 3 in the East, so you know, he’s a really good player.”

That means a lot coming from a player like the Joker, who himself is among the top candidates. While it may seem a lot, this probably isn’t anywhere near the kind of appreciation Jaylen Brown and the Celtics deserve, as nobody really gave them a chance after Tatum’s injury. Now, as we head to the business end of the season, Boston is among the favorites once again, and all thanks to Brown, who truly deserves to be in the MVP conversation.

Yes, his teammates and head coach Joe Mazzulla also deserve a lot of credit, but Jaylen Brown has been the backbone of this team. However, with Jayson Tatum back in the mix, it will be worth watching how Brown adjusts his game to accommodate his partner in crime. Will it affect his terrific ongoing campaign? Or will he take his game to the next level? Only time will tell.