Jaylen Brown was featured on TIME Magazine's '100 Next' list

The last Celtics player to be on TIME’s cover was Larry Bird in 1985.

After an eventful year both on and off the court, Jaylen Brown now has one more thing to add to his list of accomplishments: featuring on the cover of TIME Magazine.

With a basketball spinning atop his finger, the 27-year-old posed for the cover of the magazine announcing TIME’s 2024 “100 Next” list. He is the first Celtics player to be on the magazine’s cover since Larry Bird almost 40 years ago.

The list aims to honor those that are “not waiting long in life to make an impact” and will “play an important role in leading the future,” writes Sam Jacobs, TIME’s editor-in-chief.

Former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick wrote Brown’s profile, calling him a “beacon of hope, showing us that true power lies in lifting others up.”

The TIME issue has two other covers that highlight singer Sabrina Carpenter and nonprofit CEO Aisha Nyandoro. The list also includes several other New Englanders, including Olympic rugby star and body positivity activist Ilona Maher and Olympic gymnastics star Frederick Richard.

Brown helped lead the Celtics to their 18th NBA championship and became the 2024 NBA Finals MVP. He also unveiled his own independent shoe brand and launched Boston XChange, an initiative meant to build wealth in underrepresented communities.

“When it’s all said and done,” Celtics’ general manager Brad Stevens told TIME, “I think his impact will be greater off the court than on.”