Jaylen Brown returned to Georgia, his hometown, and visited his alma mater, Wheeler High School, for a special ceremony. In a dream-come-true moment, the Celtics ace saw his number 0 jersey retired. That jogged back a lot of memories from his successful time with the Wheeler Wildcats. However, one incident in particular needed him to do something unethical for the opportunity of a lifetime.

Brown was just as splendid in his education as he was on the court. Likewise, after scoring top marks in the PSATs, the former Finals MVP earned entrance into several science programs. There was just one problem. It clashed with the LeBron James camp. So JB had to resort to telling a white lie to his mother.

“I remember seeing the dates. They were at the same time as the LeBron camp. So I remember stuffing them at the bottom of my book bag. They never got to my mom. Like they never got to my mom. She would have probably sent me there,” Brown told reporters while at shootaround.

Fun fact: Brown’s mother, Michelle, is an educator. Likewise, for her, the top priority was education, which led Jaylen Brown to think she would send him to the esteemed programs. He even told her that he never received the applications during a parent-teacher meeting. It wasn’t until a few years ago that the Celtics ace told Michelle Brown the truth.

Safe to say, it was a great decision on his part. Brown is the core part of one of the most storied franchises in NBA history. He also became the first player in NBA history to sign a $300 million extension. The LeBron James camp was important for him to grasp the degree of preparation needed to reach the very top.

But still, that part of him that always wanted to excel in studies still resides within Brown.

Mother and grandmother pushed Jaylen Brown for grades

Basketball made everything possible for Jaylen Brown. Education helped him understand exactly what to do with his resources. Growing up with his mother and grandmother, they had just one rule. Anything below an A-grade was disappointing. They saw his potential, which is why the high standards.

Brown was able to keep that going until high school. The lesson to always do his best shaped Jaylen Brown’s incredible work ethic. His actual intellect opened up several opportunities outside of basketball.

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While on a scholarship at UC Berkeley, Brown was offered an internship at NASA. Additionally, he’s also done a TED talk at MIT. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Recently, Brown started his own sneaker venture, 741, wanting to take ownership and full stake in the creation of his own shoe. He has also used his intelligence to become the youngest NBPA Vice President.

At the backbone of most of his achievements are the countless hours he spent studying and gaining an understanding of how things work. Without his mother’s determination, who knows whether there would even be a jersey retirement?

Now, Brown is arguably on his way to having his jersey retired for the Celtics one day. And after the NBA, his intellect opens up the world to him.