Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic were two of the most impactful players in the 2024 NBA Finals, so it was fitting that the two stars embraced when the series concluded.
The Celtics clinched their 18th championship with a 106-88 victory in Game 5 on Monday, and as the celebrations began at TD Garden, Brown and Doncic shared their mutual respect for each other.
“Luka, you’re a killer. You got the best out of me. I love you, bro,” Brown told Doncic, as seen in a video posted by the NBA. “I love you too, bro,” Doncic replied.
Brown was voted the winner of the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award after averaging 20.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game in the series.
He also played great defense, especially against Doncic. The Mavs guard shot just 40.9 percent when Brown was the primary defender in the Finals, per the NBA’s tracking data. Doncic shot 43.8 percent over the first three rounds of the playoffs. The 25-year-old superstar scored four points on 2-of-6 shooting when defended by Brown in Game 5.
Doncic still played pretty well in the series, though. He averaged 29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.6 assists through five games. The Mavericks wouldn’t have been anywhere close to the Finals without him.
I love those guys, the mutual respect is there