Already an Eastern Conference finals MVP, NBA Finals MVP and NBA champion, Jaylen Brown now can add “TIME Magazine cover model” to his resume.

The Boston Celtics star is one of the headliners of the magazine’s new TIME100 Next list, released Wednesday, which annually recognizes “100 emerging leaders from across the world who are shaping the future.”

Jaylen Brown is NEXT @FCHWPO x @TIME pic.twitter.com/oH5XWwdezw

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 2, 2024

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

TIME dubbed the 27-year-old Brown “the most interesting player in the NBA,” spotlighting his various intellectual pursuits off the court (lecturing at Harvard, studying philosophy, etc.) and the work he’s done in the community through his 7uice Foundation and, most recently, his Boston XChange nonprofit, which aims to “build generational wealth and foster cultural innovation in underserved and underrepresented communities.”

Brown and Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd teamed up this summer to launch a sister program in Oakland.

“Boston XChange is not just a ­program — it’s a blueprint for change,” former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick wrote in Brown’s TIME100 Next entry. “Jaylen isn’t just an athlete; he’s a beacon of hope, showing us that true power lies in lifting others up. I stand with him, inspired by the path he’s paving for us all.”

Among those quoted in a separate, longer profile on Brown were an associate professor at MIT, a professor and a lecturer at Cal, an administrator with Boston Public Schools and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

While Brown’s activism and philanthropy were the primary focus, the ninth-year pro’s on-court accomplishments also were highlighted. He reflected on the difficulties he experienced during Kyrie Irving’s tumultuous Celtics tenure (“Political decisions were made [about playing time]. … I could have complained. But also those moments actually turned me into who I am today”) and said he and Boston co-star Jayson Tatum “have a championship-level relationship.”

“History is going to remember us both for what we accomplished this past season,” Brown told TIME. “And I think we have a lot more in store for people.”

Along with Brown, TIME’s other cover subjects were pop star Sabrina Carpenter and Aisha Nyandoro, a CEO whose nonprofit, Springboard to Opportunities, is battling generational poverty in Jackson, Miss.

Other athletes who made the TIME100 Next cut included Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner and U.S. Olympians Fred Richard (gymnastics) and Ilona Maher (rugby).

Celtics documentary deluge

The start of the NBA regular season is less than three weeks away, and Celtics fans will have plenty of behind-the-scenes content to keep them entertained until then.

A double dose of docuseries chronicling Boston’s run to the 2023-24 NBA championship is set to hit television and streaming services in the coming weeks.

Most notably, there’s Netflix’s “Starting 5,” which premieres Oct. 9. Modeled after the streaming giant’s popular “Quarterback” series, cameras for “Starting 5” followed Tatum, LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Edwards and Domantas Sabonis throughout last season.

Given Netflix’s track record with these types of shows — Formula 1’s “Drive to Survive” and golf’s “Full Swing” also were hits — it should deliver a worthwhile look at the Celtics’ franchise centerpiece.

On Oct. 7, the first episode of “Clutch: The NBA Playoffs” hits ESPN2 and ESPN+. That eight-episode series focuses on the entire 2024 NBA postseason, so not all episodes are Celtics-centric. But it features new interviews with Brown, Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Joe Mazzulla, Brad Stevens and C’s legend Robert Parish.

“I’m the best player on the court regardless of who we’re playing,” Tatum declares in one episode.

An exclusive look into the moments that define the postseason and legacies of the leagues next generation

‘Clutch: The NBA Playoffs’ presented by NBA2K25 on PS5 | Premiering October 7

More: https://t.co/a5B9plXgOk pic.twitter.com/nmXC0UqTYc

— ESPN (@espn) September 30, 2024

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Celtics fans looking to relive the NBA Finals against Dallas will want to tune into the series finale on Oct. 20 (2 p.m. ET, ESPN).

The champion Celtics also will be the subject of a nine-part Max docuseries that team owner Wyc Grousbeck said will be “along the lines of hopefully ‘The Last Dance,’” but that’s not due for release until spring 2025.

Abu Dhabi dispatch

The Celtics’ first two days in Abu Dhabi featured a Jr. NBA kids basketball clinic run by Mazzulla and his staff, and the unveiling of a Celtics-themed outdoor court at Reem Central Park, per NBC Sports Boston’s Chris Forsberg. A group that included Tatum also visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, one of Abu Dhabi’s most iconic landmarks.

Boston is practicing at NYU Abu Dhabi, about a mile from the Persian Gulf. Its two preseason games against the Denver Nuggets will take place another 25 minutes inland at Etihad Arena, which hosted a pair of warmup contests for Team USA ahead of this year’s Summer Olympics. Tatum, Jrue Holiday and Derrick White all were part of that team, so this is their second visit to the United Arab Emirates in the last three months.

Friday’s exhibition tips off at noon ET, with Sunday’s starting at 10 a.m ET. Celtics and Nuggets players also are scheduled to appear at a fan appreciation event on Saturday.

“I mean, for one just, you’re going to a different culture and you’re playing in front of people and there’s things that — there’s obligations that you have to do,” said Holiday, who also played games in Abu Dhabi with the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2022 preseason. “And I feel like a lot of times in training camp and preseason, it’s about locking into the team, focusing in on that and staying in one place and kind of going through the grind together. Kind of sharing that with a whole other country, a whole other place, eight-hour difference. So I think that’s a really good thing.”

Off the rim

The Celtics seemed to hint on social media they will unveil their new City Edition alternate uniforms — which, according to leaked images, feature garish neon green lettering and accents — on Nov. 14. Boston doesn’t play that day, so it’s unclear when those unis will make their on-court debut. … The NBA’s social team asked Celtics players about their favorite pieces of sports memorabilia. The best response came from newcomer Lonnie Walker IV, who has Stephen Curry’s jersey from Game 4 of the 2023 West semifinals. Walker scored 15 points in the fourth quarter of that game, which his Lakers won by three. “[Curry] said he’ll never forgive me for what I’ve done to him,” Walker said. “My mom, dad called me crying.” … Brown will appear this week on “Hot Ones,” the web series that has celebrities answer questions while chowing down on spicy wings. His episode premieres Thursday.