PHILADELPHIA — When Boston Celtics fans talk about the premier players of the '60s, they have to mention basketball pioneer and Green Team legend Bill Russell, who won 11 titles and 5 MVPs in the early days of the NBA. For fans who grew up in the '80s, they'll need to discuss the dominant Celtics teams of that era, which were anchored by eventual four-time NBA champion and nine-time All-Star Robert Parish. And several years from now, when the 2020s of the Association are long gone, they'll talk about current Celtics guard Jaylen Brown.During Game 3 of the Celtics' first-round playoff series versus the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, Brown passed both of the aforementioned greats on the historic franchise's playoff scoring list.
After tallying 25 points (tied for a team-high) over the course of the 108-100 victory, Brown now sits in seventh all-time and is 148 points away from tying former Celtics star Paul Pierce.I asked Jaylen Brown about passing Bill Russell and Robert Parish on the Celtics’ all-time playoff scoring list:“That's awesome. It feels great to do that in a win, but nothing but respect for those Celtic legends. Bill Russell and Robert Parish are somebody who I've admired,… pic.twitter.com/pG5koe3cGc— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) April 25, 2026"That's awesome," Brown told Celtics Wire postgame when informed of his accomplishment.
"Obviously, it feels great to do that in a win, but nothing but respect for those Celtic legends. Bill Russell and Robert Parish are (guys) who I've admired, whose legacies will live on forever in Celtics history. So, to be in the midst of some of the great Celtic legends and great NBA legends is an honor."This isn't the first scoring milestone Brown has reached this season.
Following a blowout win over the Golden State Warriors in late March, the five-time All-Star entered the top-10 of the Celtics' regular season scoring list. He did so while Parish happened to be in attendance at TD Garden."I’m very grateful," Brown said last month. "(There are) a lot of legends on that list who made big contributions to the Celtics, but also to the game of basketball.
So I’m very humbled and very grateful to be in the position I’m in."The other Celtic great who'll be named alongside Brown in future conversations is his on-court partner in crime: Jayson Tatum. The six-time All-Star is one spot ahead of Brown on the regular season scoring list and surpassed 3,000 postseason points on Friday to close the gap a bit between him and three-time Celtics champion Kevin McHale (3,182 points) on the playoff scoring list.Like Brown, Tatum also had 25 points and was on the court for more than 40 minutes in order to secure a 2-1 series lead for the Celtics. The dynamic duo scored or assisted on 27 of the Celtics' 29 points in the fourth quarter, per Justin Turpin of WEEI, and provided Boston with the winning formula down the stretch in a hostile road environment.Jaylen Brown called tonight a big win:“This was like a Game 7 for us…you can’t lose two in a row in the playoffs.” pic.twitter.com/guWJTK5Wfe— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) April 25, 2026Although Tatum and Brown already belong in debates centered around the best players to don the green and white, that doesn't mean they're finished adding to their resumes. The next opportunity to etch their names into the history books some more arrives on Sunday night when the C's and 76ers square off in an important Game 4 at Xfinity Mobile Arena.Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on:Blue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKp iTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47 YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Celtics star Jaylen Brown reacts to historic accomplishment in Game 3 win