Lonzo Ball says Jaylen Brown's jersey deserves to hang in the Celtics rafters

Lonzo Ball throws his weight behind Jaylen Brown's legacy

Jaylen Brown is barely a few weeks into his tenure with the Philadelphia 76ers, but the debate over how the Boston Celtics should honor him is already heating up. On a recent episode of the Ball in the Family podcast, former Lakers and Bulls guard Lonzo Ball made his stance crystal clear: Brown's jersey belongs in the Boston rafters.

The Celtics shocked the league this summer when they shipped Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George and a haul of first-round draft compensation. It was the kind of blockbuster that rewrites a franchise's timeline overnight and it immediately reignited conversations about how Brown's decade in green and white should ultimately be remembered.

"Put that s**t up there" Ball ranks Brown among Boston's all-time best

When asked directly whether Brown's number should be retired, Ball didn't hesitate. "I got to see all the accolades, but if you line up Boston's best players ever, he's in my top five. So put that sh-t up there. Agreed. Who's f–king with him on the wing?"

That question kicked off a lively back-and-forth about which Celtics legends belong ahead of Brown on the wing. The host floated names like Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, and even Bill Russell out of respect. Ball wasn't buying most of it.

• Ball's verdict: only Paul Pierce and Larry Bird rank above Brown as Celtics wings
• He argued Brown is "a little better" than his longtime co-star Jayson Tatum
• Ball went as far as saying Brown would "lowkey fry" Larry Bird defensively, joking Bird would have a better shot at stopping Brown than the reverse

The debate wrapped with the host landing on a broader point: if the Celtics were willing to retire the numbers of players like Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce off the back of a single championship run together, then Brown and eventually Tatum clearly check that box too.

The résumé behind the argument

It's not just talk-show hyperbole Brown's ten seasons in Boston stack up as one of the more decorated runs in recent franchise history. He helped lead the Celtics to two NBA Finals appearances, capped by the 2024 championship alongside Jayson Tatum, where he was named Finals MVP.

• 10 seasons with the Boston Celtics
• 2024 NBA Champion and Finals MVP
• 5-time NBA All-Star
• All-NBA Second Team selection
• Finished 6th in last season's MVP voting
• Career averages in Boston: 20 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steal per game on 47.8% shooting (35.8% from three)

Those are the kind of numbers and moments that typically get a franchise talking about retirement ceremonies — and Boston has never been shy about honoring its own.

Brad Stevens leaves the door open

Ball isn't the only voice pushing this idea. Celtics president Brad Stevens has publicly acknowledged that retiring Brown's No. 7 is something the organization could consider down the road. That would slot Brown into an already massive club — the Celtics currently have 24 retired numbers, the most of any team in the NBA, a franchise that has never hesitated to celebrate its champions in the rafters of TD Garden.

Brown's not done with Boston yet

Even in a new jersey, Brown made sure his connection to the city didn't disappear overnight. After the trade, he returned to Boston to host the 741 Frequency Fest, an event thanking the community that supported him throughout his career. It's a small gesture, but one that reinforces just how tied Brown remains to the franchise that drafted and developed him into a champion.

Whether or not the Celtics ever officially retire that No. 7, one thing is clear — Brown's decade in Boston left enough of a mark that people are already arguing about his place in franchise history. Now the question shifts to Philadelphia, where fans will be watching to see if he can add a new chapter alongside Paul George and the 76ers.