Skip Bayless blames Jayson Tatum for ruining Jaylen Brown MVP case

Sports pundit says Tatum's return from injury cost Brown's MVP chances

Apr. 2, 2026 at 1:25am

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In the latest episode of his show, sports commentator Skip Bayless expressed sympathy about the declining interest in Jaylen Brown's candidacy for this season's NBA MVP award. Bayless believes Jayson Tatum's return from injury after Brown had carried the Celtics earlier in the season ultimately cost Brown his chance at the prestigious honors.

Why it matters

The MVP race is one of the most closely watched individual awards in the NBA, and Brown's strong start to the season had him in contention. Bayless argues that Tatum's return, while a positive for the Celtics, undermined Brown's case and allowed other players to overtake him in the MVP conversation.

The details

Bayless said that before Tatum returned, Brown had put the entire Celtics team on his back and was leading the MVP race. However, once Tatum came back from his torn Achilles injury, the Celtics started winning more games and Brown's numbers, while still strong, were overshadowed by Tatum's play. Bayless believes that if Brown hadn't carried the Celtics earlier, Tatum may not have returned this season, which would have kept Brown in the MVP spotlight.

  • Jayson Tatum returned to the Celtics in late March 2026 after recovering from a torn Achilles.
  • Prior to Tatum's return, Jaylen Brown was leading the MVP race and averaging career-high numbers.

The players

Jaylen Brown

A star guard for the Boston Celtics who was in contention for the NBA MVP award earlier this season before his teammate Jayson Tatum returned from injury.

Jayson Tatum

An All-Star forward for the Boston Celtics who missed the start of the season with a torn Achilles but returned in late March, impacting Jaylen Brown's MVP chances.

Skip Bayless

A prominent sports commentator and host of the show "Gil's Arena" where he discussed Jaylen Brown's MVP case.

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What they’re saying

“It hurt my heart to watch what happened to Jaylen Brown over the last month because for a while I had him number one in the MVP. I don't know if you guys gave him that much love, but he was vying for the top because in a gap year for the Celtics, he put that whole team on his back.”

— Skip Bayless, Sports Commentator

“If Jaylen Brown hadn't done what he did this year, there's no way Jayson comes back early. What if they had a gap year or were out of the playoffs? If they were 21–42, is Jayson going to say he wants to play the last stretch? Jaylen made Jayson possible, and it cost him any MVP consideration because as soon as Jayson stepped back on the floor, it was over for Jaylen in the MVP race.”

— Skip Bayless, Sports Commentator

What’s next

With the NBA regular season winding down, it remains to be seen if Jaylen Brown can regain momentum in the MVP race or if players like Victor Wembanyama, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic will overtake him.

The takeaway

This case highlights the complex dynamics within a team and how the return of an injured star player can impact another player's individual accolades, even if both are vital to the team's success. It also shows how media narratives and commentary can shape the public perception of MVP candidates.