The Boston Celtics had their grand parade Friday celebrating the franchise’s record 18th NBA title. For Mechalle Brown, mother of NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, the last five days have been buzz saw busy.
In Brown’s world, it takes a village to raise a child and a victory for one is a victory for all. This week, it seemed as if the entire village was calling to celebrate.
“It’s been very surreal,” Brown said Thursday from Boston. “Did this really happen? It was an immense, overwhelming feeling of joy and happiness. It’s been hectic. It’s been busy with all the calls. People keep calling, my phone keeps ringing.
“I’m ready for this to be over. I’m glad they won, but there’s been so much going on.”
I watched the podium celebration Monday, waiting like everyone else to see who would be named Finals MVP, the NBA version of the Academy Award for best actor.
While it takes a village to win, there’s only one MVP.
Brown was the most consistent high performer throughout the postseason but because forward Jayson Tatum had a monster game Monday, there was a chance that Tatum might be the popular choice — not the right choice, but the popular choice.
When NBA commissioner Adam Silver called Brown’s name, I was pleasantly surprised. Mechalle Brown was overcome by a wave of emotions. She closed her eyes, hugged her youngest son and was hit by a flood of recollections and emotions.
“First you see him at 9 months old chasing a ball, then he’s 27 and everything that he’s worked for and put immense effort into has come to pass,” she said. “Knowing that he wanted this so badly, and that he was able to help his team and then also be able to get acknowledged, there’s nothing better than to see everything come full circle. It was just an overwhelming, amazing feeling to see that.”
Later in the postgame interview room, Brown described a dream he had had earlier in the day. He dreamed that his maternal grandmother, Dianne Varnado, had put her arms around him as he awoke. “I knew everything was going to be all right,” he said. Mechalle Brown cried when she heard her son reference her mother, who died in March 2023.
“When he talked about my mom and the dream that he had, that’s what made me cry,” she said. “I wanted him to be successful, but that’s what took it over the top for me.”
Mechalle Brown and her brother, Byron Varnado, were born and raised in Muskegon, Michigan. She eventually moved to Atlanta, and every summer her two sons spent several weeks in Michigan with their grandparents.
Her grandmother, an educator, helped establish a foundation of discipline for the boys. She would give them homework assignments and readings to complete before they went out to play basketball. “What kid in the summer wants to do homework?” Mechalle Brown said. “All the things she did and why she did them he understood as he got older. He didn’t like them then, but he understood why later.”
She added that her mother “played a great role in molding who Jaylen is, being a person of service, learning by example.
“She treated people with kindness, no matter if it was the top person or someone who was not the top person,” Mechalle Brown said. “She always carried herself in that way. She made sure that Jaylen and Quenton had values, that they had character and integrity as young Black men and in how they carried themselves. She taught them how to use their voice. When Jaylen teared up, he knew that all the things he is, he could see that’s where it originated. She was the originator.”
So, what comes next for Brown? With an NBA title and a Finals MVP award, he has an elevated platform. His mother said that her son will continue his work with his 7uice Foundation and build up his Bridge Program, which gives brown and Black youths an opportunity to pursue their dreams in fields outside of athletics.
One thing Brown will not do is have fame and money mute his voice. Brown and his mother had a conversation about that three years ago when he drove to Atlanta in 2020 to participate in a demonstration after George Floyd was murdered by Minneapolis police.
“He said, ‘I have a lot of money but I’m still a man, I’m still a Black man and my voice needs to be heard,’ ” Mechalle Brown said, recalling the conversation she had with her son.
“We had that conversation and that’s what drove him to go to Atlanta. Because no matter how much money he has, he’s still seen as a Black man, and he has to stand up against the injustice he sees in the world. Thankfully, he does have a platform that most people do not have.”
She also wants her son to earn his degree from Cal, where he spent nine months before embarking on his NBA career. Mechalle Brown earned her undergraduate degree from Michigan State and her MBA from American InterContinental University. Her mother earned her degree from Grand Valley State University. “Athletics was never my focus,” she said. “My focus was education. I definitely want him to go back to finish. We’re going to talk about that this summer. He promised me and also his grandmother.”
Given everything that Brown has on his plate, finishing a degree program will not be easy. On the other hand, reaching the NBA was not easy, nor was winning an NBA title and being named Finals MVP.
As Mechalle Brown told her sons as since they were young: “Struggle is unavoidable when you’re trying to achieve great success.”
We wrapped up our conversation. Mechalle Brown had been gracious with her time. Now there was so much to do — more calls to make, more friends and relatives to entertain. And of course there was a championship parade to prepare for.
Brown said that she was looking forward to Friday’s festivities.
“I’m very excited about the parade,” she said. “I’m excited to see this in action and witness it. This is part of our family history.
“This is the cherry on top.”
Indeed, the Brown family finally received the parade it deserves.
