Celtics’ Brad Stevens: Jaylen Brown’s Knee Injury Wasn’t New, And Might Not Require Surgery

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens clarified Monday that the All-Star guard will be evaluated this week to determine whether a procedure is necessary for a partial meniscus tear—an injury Brown played through during Boston’s postseason run.

“He saw obviously our team docs and a couple of other people, and as he even said a couple weeks ago, the knee’s in a good place structurally,” Stevens said. “And so I think he felt comfortable getting out there and going after it.”

In short: the knee’s holding up, for now. The Celtics are hopeful rest will do the trick.

“The unfortunate part is we’re done in the middle of May,” Stevens added. “But some of these guys who have some nicks, bruises and other things—it’ll be good to get some rest.”

When asked directly about the report indicating Brown could undergo surgery, Stevens didn’t flinch, instead reiterating what he’s said all along: this isn’t new.

“What was reported this weekend, that’s been something that he’s had for a while, and it’s been stable,” he said. “That’s been several scans through and through. So, like, we’ve known that for a long time, and he’s known that for a long time.”

Translation: nothing’s changed. The Celtics knew Brown was banged up, Brown knew it too, and yet he pushed through—all the way through a grueling Knicks series that saw him playing some of his best basketball of the year.

Stevens said Brown began experiencing discomfort in March, but noted that the knee “got better and better” throughout the postseason.

“And again, he’ll drive that,” Stevens said of the final decision on surgery. “But certainly we’re thankful for how much and how hard he’s played.”

In classic Celtics fashion, they’re not sounding any alarms. But decisions loom. And Brown—who averaged 23.1 points in the playoffs—might soon face a bigger one of his own.