LeBron James has spent two decades shaping the NBA conversation.

So when he goes out of his way to put a player’s name into the MVP discussion, people tend to listen.

After the Boston Celtics (37-19) walked into Los Angeles (34-22) and dismantled the Lakers 111-89 on Sunday night, James made sure the postgame spotlight found Jaylen Brown.

And it wasn’t just a passing compliment.

Brown controlled the game from the opening tip, finishing with 32 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals while dictating tempo on both ends. It was the kind of performance that has become routine this season - dominant, complete, and quietly essential to everything Boston is building.

But James wasn’t interested in just talking about one night.

“This whole MVP thing, I don’t understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well,” James told reporters at his locker postgame. “Like, nobody gave them a shot to start the season. And he’s averaging what, 30? Just under 30? It’s a popularity contest sometimes, I tell you.”

That context matters.

Coming into the year, the Celtics faced real skepticism.

Roster turnover and the absence of Jayson Tatum led many to predict a step back. Instead, Boston has surged to almost 20 games above .500, and sits near the top of the Eastern Conference with Brown serving as the engine behind that consistency.

James sees that clearly.

“I think he just used the motivation of a lot of people just saying that they’re going to have a down year,” said the NBA’s all-time leading scorer. “The whole championship team pretty much is kind of revamped, and he used it as motivation to keep them afloat. They’re playing great basketball, and it’s because of him and the rest of those guys. He’s taken that next step.”

Statistically, Brown’s case is hard to ignore.

He entered Sunday averaging 29.2 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, yet still landed sixth in ESPN’s latest MVP straw poll - a gap between production and recognition that only reinforces James’ point.

For Brown, though, the conversation isn’t about campaigning. It’s about identity.

“Who I am - I feel like I’m the best two-way player in the world,” said Brown. “I play both ends on the court night-to-night. I’m available, which is hard to do. I’m a leader. Help lead my team, empower my team to come out and play confidently, stuff that doesn’t always show up on the analytics. And I’m a winner. I come out and try to win every single night.”

He also reflected on how far he’s come since his first NBA start against James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (36-22), a moment the two revisited all these years later.

“We talked about that at the All-Star Game,” Brown said. “‘You remember that 10 years ago?’ And he smiles like, ‘Of course, you know, I’m not surprised at anything you’re doing right now. So just keep proving people wrong.’”

With more than a month left in the season, the MVP race will continue to evolve. But after a performance like Sunday - and an endorsement from one of the game’s most influential voices - it’s getting harder to ignore that Brown belongs firmly in the conversation.

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Tom Carroll is a contributor for Roundtable, with boots-on-the-ground coverage of all things Boston sports. He's a senior digital content producer for WEEI.com, and a native of Lincoln, RI.