BERKELEY – Two California men's basketball alumni will begin the 2025 NBA Playoffs this weekend. Jaylen Brown (2015-16) and Jaylon Tyson (2023-24) will represent the Golden Bears on the reigning champion Boston Celtics and Eastern Conference No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively.
 
Brown – the 2016 Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and the No. 3 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft – continued to solidify his place as one of the NBA's elite two-way players during the 2024-25 regular season, averaging 23.7 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game for the 61-win Celtics. Brown, who played in his fourth career NBA All-Star Game in February, was the 2024 NBA Finals Most Valuable Player last season.
 
Tyson made an immediate impact for the Cavaliers as a rookie, averaging 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds in 47 games played. The former Cal standout showed his worth in Cleveland with a near triple-double – 21 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists – against the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this season and scored a career-high 31 points in 46 minutes played in the Cavs' regular-season finale. Tyson – the No. 20 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft – was an All-Pac-12 first team selection for the Golden Bears last year, averaging 19.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.
 
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