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Jaylen Brown Points to Another Game 7 For Cal Alums

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Jaylen Brown Points to Another Game 7 For Cal Alums

Originally posted on Cal Bears on SI | By Jeff Faraudo | Last updated May 1, 2026 3:33 PM ET

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Cal’s history in Game 7 of an NBA playoff series dates back 60 years, to Darrall Imhoff in 1966.

No former Cal player has more experience in Game 7 than Jaylen Brown.

The 29-year-old one-and-done Golden Bear will step onto that stage for the ninth time Saturday night when the Boston Celtics host the Philadelphia 76ers in a win-or-go-home game.

Brown and the Celtics have prevailed in six of their previous eight Game 7 showdowns. They were forced into another one after their 106-93 loss at Philly on Thursday night.

Surprisingly, the former Cal player with the next-most experience in a Game 7 is Charles Johnson, who played in five such outings.

Ex-Bears Phil Chenier and Kevin Johnson excelled in Game 7s and, curiously, Jason Kidd played in just one of them in 158 postseason games over 19 seasons.

Brown, of course, was named MVP of both the 2024 Eastern Conference finals and the NBA finals, but neither of those series reached a seventh game.

Here’s how Brown and his fellow Golden Bearl brethren (their Cal years in parenthesis) have fared in Game 7:

JAYLEN BROWN (2016)

2017 Eastern Conference semifinals: In his rookie season, Brown came off the bench to contribute nine points to the Celtics’ 115-105 victory in Game 7 over the Washington Wizards. He averaged just 3.9 points and 14 minutes in the series. In the Eastern finals, he averaged 9.0 points in Boston’s five-game series loss to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

2018 Eastern Conference first round: Brown suffered one of his least-productive postseason games, scoring just two points on 1-for-5 shooting but the Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 112-96 in Game 7. Brown played well otherwise, averaging 20.5 points through the first six games, including outings of 34 and 30 points.

2018 Eastern Conference finals: Brown scored 13 points on 5-for-18 shooting and the Celtics lost 87-79 to LeBron James on the Cavaliers in Game 7. Through the first six games of the series, Brown produced 19.6 points per game. The Cavs were swept in four games by the Warriors in the NBA Finals.

2020 Eastern Conference semifinals: Brown had 21 points, 8 rebounds and 4 steals as the Celtics beat Toronto 92-87 in Game 7 to advance. Brown produced 20.7 points and 8.7 rebounds in the series and went on to average 23.2 points in the Eastern finals, but Boston lost to Miami in six games.

2022 Eastern Conference semifinals: Brown had 19 points and eight rebounds as the Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks 109-81 in Game 7. He averaged 22.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists in the series, including a 30-point performance in Game 2.

2022 Eastern Conference finals: Brown had 24 points and six assists as the Celtics beat the Miami Heat 100-96 in Game 7. Over seven games, he averaged 24.1 points and 7.1 rebounds. The Celtics lost to the Warriors in six games in the NBA Finals, despite Brown averaging 23.5 points.

2023 Eastern Conference semifinals: Brown posted 25 points, to complement a 51-point outburst by Jayson Tatum, and the Celtics clobbered the Philadelphia 76ers 112-88 in Game 7. Brown gave the Celtics 22.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists during the series.

2023 Eastern Conference finals: A rough one for Brown, who had 19 points, eight rebounds and five assists but shot 1 for 9 on 3’s and had eight turnovers in Boston’s 103-84 home loss to Miami in Game 7. In the series, he scored 19 points per game but shot just 7 for 43 from the 3-point arc.

JASON KIDD (1993-94)

2004 Eastern Conference semifinals: The Hall of Famer's only career Game 7 was a clunker. He shot 0 for 8 in a scoreless performance contributing seven assists and three steals as the New Jersey Nets lost 90-69 to the Detroit Pistons. Kidd averaged 10.1 points, 9.0 assists and 6.7 rebounds and shot 5 for 34 from 3-point range in the series.

KEVIN JOHNSON (1984-87)

1993 Western Conference finals: Johnson had 22 points, nine assists, four steals and two blocked shots to spark the Phoenix Suns to a 123-110 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics n Game 7. He shot 14 for 16 from the FT line. The Suns lost the NBA Finals to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in six games, with KJ scoring 25 points in each of the Suns’ two victories, including a 129-121 triple-overtime road victory in Game 3.

1994 Western Conference semifinals: Johnson had 25 points and 11 assists but the Suns lost 104-94 in Game 7 on the road to the Houston Rockets. Johnson averaged 26.6 points and 9.7 rebounds in the series, including back-to-back 38-point performances in Games 3 and 4 — home-game defeats after Phoenix had won the first two games on the road.

1995 Western Conference semifinals: Johnson scored a career playoff-high 46 points to go with 10 assists but the Suns lost 115-114 in Game 7 to the Houston Rockets. KJ averaged 27.9 points and 9.4 assists in the series.

PHIL CHENIER (1970-71)

1974 Eastern Conference semifinals: Chenier had team bests of 21 points and 14 rebounds but the Capital Bullets lost 91-81 to the NY Knicks in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. Chenier averaged 22.2 points and scored at least 20 points in six of the seven games, including 35 in a Game 2 victory.

1975 Eastern Conference semifinals: Chenier was brilliant in Game 7, scoring 39 points on 13 of 18 shooting and 13 for 15 from the free throw line as the Washington Bullets eliminated the Buffalo Braves 115-96. Chenier averaged 24.4 points in the series, then scored 24.8 points as the Bullets beat the Celtics in six games to win the Eastern Conference. He went on to average 23.0 points in the NBA Finals, but the Warriors won in a four-game sweep.

1976 Eastern Conference semifinals: Chenier scored 31 points for the Bullets in Game 7, but the Cleveland Cavaliers won 87-85 to advance to the Eastern finals. Chenier scored 18.0 points per game in the series.

CHARLES JOHNSON (1969-71)

1975 Western Conference finals: The 6-foot-1 guard scored 10 points as a starter and the Warriors beat the Chicago Bulls 83-79 in Game 7. Over seven games, Johnson contributed 13.7 points and 4.0 rebounds as one of the satellites circling Warriors star Rick Barry. The Warriors needed just four games to upset the Washington Bullets in the Finals.

1976 Western Conference finals: Johnson scored 14 points in a 94-86 Game 7 loss to the Phoenix Suns, ending the Warriors’ dreams of repeating as NBA champs. Johnson averaged 10.1 for the series. The Suns lost a six-game NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics.

1977 Western Conference semifinals: Johnson was scoreless in 10 minutes off the bench in the Warriors’ 97-84 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, powered by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s 36 points and 26 rebounds. Johnson averaged 9.0 points over the seven games, including a playoff career-high 28 points in the Game 3 victory.

1978 NBA Finals: Now playing for the Washington Bullets, Johnson scored 19 points off the bench in a 105-99 victory over the Seattle SuperSonics in Game 7. Johnson averaged 10.7 points on his way to winning his second NBA title.

1979 Eastern Conference semifinals: Johnson scored two points in 13 minutes off the bench as the Washington Bullets topped topped the Atlanta Hawks 100-94.

DARRALL IMHOFF (1958-60)

1966 Western Division finals: An NCAA championship center with Cal in 1959, Imhoff was playing for the Los Angeles Lakers and contributed seven points, six rebounds and five assists off the bench in a 130-121 win over the St. Louis Hawks in Game 7. Imhoff averaged 3.9 points and 5.7 rebounds over seven games.

1966 NBA Finals: Imhoff was scoreless in 14 minutes off the bench in the Lakers’ 95-93 loss to the Boston Celtics. West scored 36 points for L.A., which had no answer Bill Russell, who played all 48 minutes and had 25 points and 38 rebounds. Imhoff’s series numbers: 2.0 points and 5.9 rebounds.

This article first appeared on Cal Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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