That Game 6 at Madison Square Garden was a straight-up gut punch for Celtics fans. Watching the Knicks just dismantle them 119-81 to end their season? Brutal. Especially with Jayson Tatum already out with that devastating Achilles tear, the Celtics fought, but it just wasn’t enough. Now, as the team heads into a summer that feels like it’s filled with a million question marks, their veteran leader, Al Horford, had some real talk for Jaylen Brown, and it hits even harder now that we’re hearing JB was battling a pretty serious injury himself.

Losing like that, getting blown out in an elimination game, is tough for any team, but for the defending champs? Even tougher. Jaylen Brown had to carry a monster load after Tatum went down, and you could see him giving it everything he had. He scored 20 points in that last game before fouling out in the third quarter– a frustrating way to go out. After the game, JB was obviously crushed, telling reporters, “Losing to the Knicks feels like death but I was always taught that there’s life after death. So, we’ll get ready for whatever’s next, whatever’s next in the journey I’ll be ready for.” That’s a star talking, showing that fight even when it hurts, but it doesn’t make losing any easier.

And get this – as if things weren’t bad enough for the Celtics, word started leaking out, like the report from ESPN, that Jaylen Brown wasn’t even close to healthy. Apparently, he’s been playing with a partially torn right meniscus since March! We’re talking the last month of the regular season and the entire playoffs, needing pain injections just to get out there. The dude was still averaging over 22 points and 7 rebounds in the postseason while playing on a shredded knee. That’s just pure warrior stuff, laying it all on the line like that. Now, he’s apparently getting more tests to see if he needs surgery. Unbelievable.

So, you’ve got this heavy cloud hanging over the Celtics. However, Al Horford, the old pro, the guy who’s seen it all and finally got his ring with Boston last year, decided to step up. In his post-game chat, Horford was asked about Jaylen Brown and what he needs to do, especially with Tatum likely out for a big chunk of next season.

Big Al didn’t pull any punches. He wasn’t just giving some generic ‘he’ll be fine’ answer. He was sending a real message, a vote of confidence. “I just want Jaylen to continue to have that growth mindset that he always has,” Horford said, and you could feel the weight of his words. “Since he entered the league, Jaylen has always found ways to improve his game, to improve himself — just trying to be a better player.”

Horford then really laid out why JB is so special: “And I feel like that’s what makes him so special. He always knows there’s room for improvement, there’s work to do, and that’s one of the standards he’s set here. So I expect him to continue to take on more challenges and continue to grow and get better.”

That was definitely some high praise, but even more than that, this sounded like a veteran leader basically saying, ‘Alright, JB, the keys are yours now, show us what you got.’ With everything going on, Jaylen Brown’s shoulders are about to carry a whole lot more for these Celtics.

Torn meniscus, Tatum out, taxes looming – What’s next for JB?

Jaylen Brown’s injury angle just throws another wrench into what was already a super frustrating playoff exit for Boston. It also puts a giant spotlight on JB as the Celtics head into an offseason that feels like it could shake everything up.

But for a second, think about what JB was pushing through. That’s the heart of a warrior, even if the team didn’t get where they wanted to go. But it also makes you wonder – all those times fans were questioning his consistency against the Knicks? How much of that was the knee just screaming at him? It’s tough to be your absolute best when you’re playing hurt like that.

Now, with Tatum probably out for most, if not all, of next year, the Celtics are pretty much Jaylen Brown’s team to carry, at least for now. That’s a massive change. He’s always been the “1B” to Tatum’s “1A,” but now? The whole dynamic is different. Can he be that dude, night in and night out, the guy who leads a team that still thinks it can win, even if things look a little dimmer right now? Horford clearly thinks he can.

But it’s not just about what happens on the court. The Celtics are walking into a tricky offseason, money-wise. They’re already way into the luxury tax, and those new CBA rules are no joke – they’re basically designed to stop teams from keeping expensive super-teams together for too long. To be fair, even with a healthy Tatum, this Celtics team kind of had an expiration date because of all that cash they’re spending. Tatum getting hurt? That might just hit the fast-forward button on some tough decisions. People are already talking about whether Boston will have to cut salaries, maybe moving guys like Jrue Holiday or Kristaps Porziņģis (who was also dealing with illness in the playoffs) just to get under that scary second apron.

So, where does all this leave Jaylen Brown? He just signed that monster five-year, $285 million deal last year. He’s supposed to be locked in as a franchise guy. But in today’s NBA, with these money pressures, is anyone really safe if a team decides they need to blow things up a bit? Probably not.

The Celtics will almost definitely want to build around Brown while Tatum’s out, but the heat on him to not just be an All-Star, but to lift this whole team? It’s going to be intense. And he’s got to do all that while maybe dealing with his own knee surgery and rehab.

This is a huge moment for Jaylen Brown. He’s got the skills, he’s shown he’s tough as nails, and he’s got the respect of guys like Al Horford. But now, with the Celtics in a totally new spot, he’s got to make that leap.