The Boston Celtics have had a truly astounding season. Despite All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum undergoing a brutal Achilles injury that he continues to rehab from deep into this season, Jaylen Brown has seemingly taken on the duty of carrying the Celtics into contention as an MVP candidate. Now, as the team prepares to face the Denver Nuggets, he’s preparing a gutsy move.

“[Brown] will be playing tonight in Denver, the second night of a back-to-back,” ESPN insider Shams Charania reported on NBA Today.

He continued, “Last night, they were able to rest him, sit him. He’s only missed six games all season. He’s been as durable as they come on this MVP caliber trek this season. We’ve seen his performances, being able to lift this team, and he’s going to take this opportunity tonight to again prove why he believes he’s the MVP.”

Brown was ruled out yesterday due to a contusion in his right knee, a precautionary decision against the Phoenix Suns, which the Celtics managed to take home in blowout fashion. Tonight, though, against a leading candidate for the MVP award in Nikola Jokic, Brown isn’t holding back.

Brown is in the middle of the most complete season of his career, averaging career-highs across the board: 29.2 points per game while leading the league in shots attempted, 4.9 assists, and seven rebounds.

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The Celtics forward hasn’t stepped down from making claims about his play, labelling himself as the best two-way player in the world.

“I know everybody was counting us out,” Brown said during an interview. “My mentality was being aggressive, play with a chip on my shoulder. But also lead my group through adversity, through the tough times to make sure we could come together at the right moments.”

That play seems to have worked out for him, and now, the support behind him is mounting.

Charles Barkley, LeBron James Name Jaylen Brown as MVP Favorite

Jaylen Brown has earned recognition around the league as one of the leading favorites for the MVP award, and media personalities around the league are taking notice, sometimes even lending their own support. One of them is Inside the NBA cohost Charles Barkley, who didn’t mince words when asked about his pick for MVP.

“It’s a dog fight right now between Jaylen Brown and Cade Cunningham,” Barkley said on live TV. “If one of them two guys don’t win MVP, it would to me it’ll be like – and I don’t have a vote – but Cade Cunningham and Jaylen Brown, them boys, they are 1 and 1A for MVP.”

Even his peers around the league have began upping the Celtics forward, with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James being one of the biggest voices to come out in his support.

James said that he didn’t understand why Brown wasn’t being considered more widely for MVP, crediting him and and the Celtics for playing great basketball, even saying that Brown has “taken that next step.”

Jaylen Brown has seemingly forced the league to recognize him for the MVP award, whether voters were ready or not.