If you were among those who thought the Boston Celtics overpaid for Jaylen Brown -- he heard you.
Brown and the Celtics agreed to a four-year, $115 million contract extension back in October that made him Boston's third-highest-paid player behind Kemba Walker and Gordon Hayward.
Some wondered whether the 23-year-old deserved that kind of cash after a down season in 2018-19. But Brown is proving the Celtics right this season by putting up career numbers -- and is ready to call out his critics.
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"I kind of anticipated (the hate)," Brown told Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks on the latest episode of her show, "Take It There."
"... Most people thought I peaked in my second year in the league. I didn't peak at 21. I'm only going to get better from here. Some people think I'm playing out of my mind now because they didn't expect it."
Brown is averaging 20.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game and joins New Orleans' Brandon Ingram, Toronto's Pascal Siakam and Sacramento's Buddy Hield as the only four players from the 2016 NBA Draft class averaging more than 20 points per game this season.
Part of the reason for Brown's success is a new mindset he adopted prior to the 2019-20 season -- that started with a trip to the barber to shear his trademark high-top fade.
"That's part of the reason why I cut my hair," Brown told Rooks. "Because people will put you in a box or certain stipulations or try to identify you a certain way, and I wanted people to kind of see me different this year.
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"I suffered from a lot of anxiety (last season). ... A part of me coming into this year was not dealing with that negativity. Like, saying 'F--- that.'
"I said, 'Cut my hair, cut my care.' Letting go, stop caring what people think, and I reached a new pinnacle of happiness and peace."
A $115 million vote of confidence from the Celtics is likely helping Brown's happiness and peace as he embraces an integral role on a playoff-bound team with lofty aspirations.
Check out Brown's full interview with Rooks below:
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