“I don’t think it has fully sunk in yet.”
Perhaps that is understandable.
At 21, Jaylen Brown has returned from Canada a world champion and tournament MVP, having helped the Australian Rollers complete an unbeaten campaign at the 2026 IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Ottawa.
Winning a World Championship is something you dream about, so to actually be able to say we’re world champions is pretty surreal.
His uncle, Jonathan Brown, is no stranger to success at the highest level.
One of the Brisbane Lions’ most celebrated players, the former captain played 256 games across a distinguished AFL career and was part of the club’s famous premiership three-peat from 2001 to 2003.
Jaylen scored 28 points in Australia’s 81-57 victory over Italy in the World Championship final, capping a remarkable tournament and a rise that, less than three years ago, had him on the outer of the Australian team.
Days later, he was at the MCG as another generation of Lions staged a remarkable late comeback against Fremantle to secure a third consecutive premiership, matching the feat achieved by his uncle and teammates more than two decades earlier.
Having now experienced for himself what it takes to win at the highest level, Brown admits he sees his uncle’s achievements a little differently.
PA: You’ve had a few days now to take in becoming a world champion and tournament MVP. Has it sunk in yet?
JB: “I don’t think it has fully sunk in yet. Winning a World Championship is something you dream about, so to actually be able to say we’re world champions is pretty surreal.
“Being named MVP was obviously a really nice way to finish the tournament, but it never would have happened without the rest of the boys around me.
“Everyone played their role and contributed throughout the tournament, which made my role easier. So, the biggest thing is that we won it together as a team. It’s something I’ll remember for a long time.”
The collective nature of the achievement is something Brown returns to often.
Australia went through the tournament undefeated, navigating a dramatic overtime semi-final against Germany before producing a commanding performance against Italy in the decider.
For Brown, the gold medal was as much a vindication of the group they had built as the basketball they played.
PA: What does winning a world title with this particular group of Rollers mean to you?
JB: “It means a lot to win it with this group in particular. We’ve worked really hard to build a great culture within the team and there’s a genuine feeling that everyone has each other’s backs, both on and off the court.
“We all want to see each other do well and we’ve put a lot into this together, so being able to share a World Championship with this group and seeing all their hard work pay off makes it that much more special.”
Brown’s own contribution was emphatic.
His 28 points in the final came at 72.2 per cent from the field and completed a tournament that confirmed the evolution glimpsed at Paris 2024, when he went from missing Australia’s qualifying squad to making his Paralympic debut within a matter of months.
Yet long before Brown was contemplating his own place on the international stage, there was another example close to home.
PA: Your uncle Jonathan reached the top of his sport and won three premierships with the Lions. What influence has he had on you and your own sporting ambitions?
JB: “He’s definitely been a big influence. Growing up and seeing someone in your own family compete at the highest level and have the success he had showed me what was possible.
“I’ve always looked up to what he achieved, but also the work and commitment it took to get there.
“I think having that example so close to me has definitely influenced the way I approach my own sport and what I want to achieve.”
The congratulations came soon after the final.
Growing up and seeing someone in your own family compete at the highest level and have the success he had showed me what was possible.
PA: Did you hear from him after the final? What did he say about the win and your tournament?
JB: “Yeah, he messaged me after the final to congratulate me. He said how proud he was of me and the journey I’m on, which was really nice to hear from him.
“He also knows what it’s like to win at the highest level, so having him reach out and recognise what we’d achieved meant a lot.”
There is, however, a difference between knowing someone has reached the top and experiencing some of what it takes to get there yourself.
Brown now has his own frame of reference.
PA: Having experienced winning on the world stage yourself, do you look at what Jonathan achieved during his career any differently?
JB: “Definitely. I’ve always had a huge amount of respect for what he achieved, but experiencing that feeling of winning something at the highest level probably gives me an even greater appreciation for it.
“You realise how much work and sacrifice goes into getting to that point and how hard it is to win once, let alone multiple times.
“It makes what he achieved even more impressive to me.”
Saturday provided a timely illustration.
With Brown among the crowd at the MCG, Brisbane trailed Fremantle by 17 points with only minutes remaining before producing a stunning four-goal finish to win by seven points.
The victory made the Lions just the third club this century to win three consecutive premierships, following the Brisbane team of 2001-03 and Hawthorn from 2013-15.
For Brown, it was another reminder of the difficulty of sustained success, barely a week after experiencing his own breakthrough on the world stage.
His attention will soon return to what comes next.
The Rollers’ third world title – and first since 2014 – provides an emphatic marker of the progress made by a group whose ambitions extend to LA 2028.
It definitely gives us a lot of confidence and shows what this group is capable of.
PA: Does becoming a world champion change your sense of what this Rollers group can achieve heading towards LA 2028?
JB: “I think it definitely gives us a lot of confidence and shows what this group is capable of.
“The competition in Canada was really tough, so whilst coming away as world champions is something we’re really proud of, we know there’s still plenty of work to do and a lot we can improve on.
“We’ve got a really exciting group, so hopefully we can keep building on this and put ourselves in the best possible position heading into LA.”
For Brown, the past fortnight has offered plenty to absorb.
A first world title, an MVP award and a front row seat as another generation of Lions wrote itself into the history his family already knew so well.
Paralympics Australia is only able to continue doing its work driving the Paralympic Movement forward in Australia because of the generous support it receives from Government, Corporate Partners and donors.
The focus continues to be on delivering teams to each Summer and Winter Paralympic Games and supporting Para athletes as they enter and progress through the Para sport system and into their post-sporting careers.
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