January 20, 2026 — “Faith. Consistency. Hard work. Pays off.” That has been the mantra of basketball star Jaylen Brown since he was 14 years old. Fifteen years later, that theme paid off for him again as Wheeler High School honored him by permanently retiring his jersey number, 0, in a ceremony on the Friday before Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
“Retiring a jersey is one of the greatest honors any athlete can receive,” Wheeler Athletic Director Barry Bowdre said as he addressed the school assembly. “It means the player didn't simply play the game; they left a legacy. Because of the legacy Jaylen built here and beyond, the number 0, from today forward, will hang as a permanent reminder that greatness is earned through actions, not words.”
Brown’s basketball greatness is already legendary. He led the Wheeler Wildcats to the Georgia State Championship in 2015 and was recognized as Mr. Georgia Basketball while being named a McDonald’s All-American and Parade All-American. He spent one season at the University of California, Berkeley, and earned Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and All-Pac-12 honors. Barely a year out of high school, he was drafted third overall by the Boston Celtics. He led that historic franchise to an NBA title in 2024, winning the NBA Finals MVP award, and has been selected for the NBA All-Star Game four times.
Having his high school alma mater retire his jersey number is not the culmination of his career; it is just the next step. At the same ceremony, Brown was also presented with his Wheeler Athletics Hall of Fame ring, as he will be inducted next month alongside the rest of the Class of 2026 Inductees. Both honors are a testament to where his greatness took root.
“All of my experiences here, all the people I met, the staff, the students, everything that I kind of learned and experienced here prepared me for life,” Brown told the crowd. “My work ethic is the vehicle that got me to where I am, and I learned that here, walking through these halls and playing here in the old gym with no AC.”
Before the countdown to the banner reveal began, Brown had the enthralled assembly of students and educators repeat after him.
“Faith. Consistency. Hard work. Pays off,” he orchestrated the refrain from the crowd. “Again.”
“Faith. Consistency. Hard work. Pays off,” he repeated. “Again.”
Five times. The chorus rang out. His message was clear.
“Faith.”
The crowd watched in anticipation.
“Consistency.”
The Wildcats covering was lifted, and the number 0 jersey was revealed.
“Hard work.”
The next night, Brown scored 41 points as the visiting Celtics routed the Atlanta Hawks.
“Pays off.”
It was a fitting payoff to the presentation weekend.
