Even before the trade became official, reports pointed to a fractured relationship between Jaylen Brown and the franchise he helped lead to the 2024 championship. Former Boston Celtics star Kendrick Perkins even claimed that several ex-players wanted to distance themselves from the former Finals MVP. But Robert Parish isn’t among them. The Celtics legend has once again come to Brown’s defense, delivering a clear message to the front office.

“Hopefully, neither Jaylen nor the Boston Celtics will harbor any animosity towards the other and can let this go and move on,” Parish said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “And on down the road, when Jaylen’s career is over, or on the verge of being over, when he’s on the downside of his career, I’m hopeful that the Boston Celtics will decide to hang his jersey from the rafters because he deserved it.

“He earned it, and the impact that he had on the organization and on the team. Plus, he was an intricate part of their championship run.”

Brown wore the No. 7 jersey throughout his legendary tenure with the Boston Celtics. He has called it his favorite, “spiritual,” and “divine” number. He even wrote down a childhood goal in a journal around age 12, stating that he wanted to wear No. 7 in the NBA. But it’s not just about the specialty of the number he wore. The Chief is absolutely right in hyping JB’s importance if you look at the numbers.

Jaylen Brown had 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game across the 5-game series. While Jaylen Brown shot 44.0% from the field during the 2024 NBA Finals, his suffocating, full-court pressure on Luka Dončić completely disrupted the Dallas Mavericks’ offensive engine. His efforts paid off, and the Celtics won their first championship since 2008 and their 18th overall.

Even last season, without JT’s support and the core of the championship win traded, JB never backed down. Many predicted it to be a “gap year,” but the 29-year-old powered them to the second spot during the regular season. Unfortunately, they crashed out at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers in Round 1, despite having a 3-1 advantage. Since then, the reports have only painted Brown in a bad light.

Previously, Perkins even said, “It’s a lot of people in the organization, a lot of former players, legends, that don’t agree with you, bro!…There’s a lot of former Celtic players that’s not rocking with you either.”

But Robert Parish still chose to back Jaylen Brown amid the negative coverage. In fact, he questioned the decision to trade away the franchise cornerstone.

“It would be a serious miscalculation on Brad Stevens, management and ownership,” a few days ago, Parish said on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “First of all, you don’t get rid of a talent like Jaylen Brown unless he has asked to be moved. Not to mention the backcourt, where he and Tatum are a proven formula. So why would you want to make that move? I find it disturbing, and it’s uncomfortable.

“I do not understand, never have, and probably never will, why ownership and management won’t respect and loyalty from the players, but they only give you loyalty and respect when it’s in their best interest to do so.”

The Chief spent 14 long seasons with the team and won three championships. But that longevity was not afforded to Jaylen Brown, as he now moves on after 10 seasons.