Jaylen Brown, a star for the Boston Celtics, has been wearing a protective face mask to games since February
Many fans have wondered why he keeps wearing it, since his broken face should have healed by now. In this piece, we’ll find out how Brown’s mask came to be and why NBA players wear them.
Why is Jaylen Brown wearing a face mask during the NBA playoffs and injury update
On February 8, Brown hurt his face during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He skipped four games, but on February 19, he came back to the court with a black face mask on. Since then, the 24-year-old has been wearing the mask, and at the end of March, he told reporters that he didn’t know when he would take it off.
2 Superstars, 1 Boston. pic.twitter.com/zC0nRq0zjV
— JAYLEN BROWN SZN 🧃 (@jaylenbrownszn_) April 16, 2023
According to Jaylen Brown, the injury hasn’t fully healed yet. “I think what they said, like, you got like six weeks until the cartilage starts to grow back so you’re, I guess, safe if you were to take another hit,” he said. “But you still got like another six weeks before I guess it fully gets back to where it is or where it’s supposed to be.”
Some fans have asked why Brown keeps wearing the mask when he doesn’t need to, but the Celtics star has said that he likes wearing it and feels safe in it. In fact, he’s even received encouragement from his mom to keep it on. “My mom wants me to wear it, so I’ll probably keep wearing it,” he said.
NBA players who wear face masks: Safety tool or just a fashion statement?
Jaylen Brown isn’t the only NBA player who wears a face mask during games. Several well-known players, like Richard Hamilton, LeBron James, and Joel Embiid, have worn masks on the court over the years. Masks are worn as a safety tool to protect against injuries that may already be there. If a person has a broken nose or a broken cheek, they often wear a mask to keep from getting hurt more.
Jaylen Brown would be eligible for a "supermax" contract extension if he makes an All-NBA team.
It would pay him $290 million over 5 years.
Has Jaylen Brown earned it? pic.twitter.com/SWRXYb44SC
— Missing The Point (@MTP_pod) April 12, 2023
Even though face masks aren’t the best, they allow players to keep playing instead of sitting on the benches. The NBA playoffs are going on right now, and Brown’s Celtics are trying to make it to the Finals. Last year, they made it to the Finals, but the Golden State Warriors beat them in six games.
Jaylen Brown leads Celtics to victory with broken face
This season, the Celtics came in second place in the Eastern Conference. They and the Philadelphia 76ers are the favourites to get out of the East. After a simple 112-99 win in Game 1, Boston has a 1-0 lead over the Atlanta Hawks in their first-round playoff game.
In the end, Jaylen Brown still wears a face mask to NBA games because his broken face hasn’t fully healed. Some fans have asked him why he still wears the mask, but Brown likes it and is comfortable in it. His team, the Celtics, is in the NBA playoffs right now and hopes to make it all the way to the Finals.