In the 2020 NBA Finals, many were expecting a classic Lakers vs Celtics matchup. Apart from being an epic rivalry, there was another reason for this hyped matchup – the battle between LeBron James and Jaylen Brown.

When Brown first stepped foot on the NBA floor as a starter, he had to guard the then-Cavaliers star, LeBron James. Despite being a rookie, Brown held his own against James and finished the game with a solid performance.

Brown recently revealed that playing against James as a 19-year-old was his welcome to the league moment. He said:

“We played Cleveland in Cleveland. Before the game, ya know,  Brad [Stevens] told me I was starting. This is my first start in the NBA, they tell me my matchup is LeBron. I’m 19 years old and I have a pretty good game. We almost won the game, I helped us almost win that game too. My first start against LeBron I had like 19 points. That was a good ‘I belong here’ moment.”

Although the Cavs won that game, it was clear that the Celtics had hit a jackpot. In the last four years, Brown has blossomed into a cornerstone player for the Celtics along with Jayson Tatum. The duo is expected to carry Boston to the title one day.

LeBron James vs Jaylen Brown

LeBron has been in the league much longer than Brown. But the two stars have matched up 23 times, including the regular season and the playoffs. In those 23 games, King James has won 15 while Brown stands at 8 wins.

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Regardless of the win totals, this season, Brown gave Celtics fans a great moment to cheer for. Brown threw down a monster dunk on James in front of the Celtics crowd.

As expected, the crowd erupted following this poster by Brown. Moreover, at that point, this dunk increased the Celtics lead to 18 points! So it made sense that Brown was hyped up. However, with the 2019-20 NBA season over, LeBron had the last laugh. He won the fourth ring of his career, while Brown’s Celtics were sent back home in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Moving forward, the world will get to see more of this rivalry for sure. One can only speculate if it will be in the NBA Finals or not.