They were told that they couldn’t play together, one should be traded and that they weren’t capable of winning an NBA Championship together.
But on Monday night, Celtics All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown silenced their detractors by beating the Dallas Mavericks 4 games to 1 and winning the duo’s first NBA championship.
The win gave Boston its 18th title, breaking the tie with the Lakers for most titles in league history. Most importantly, it proved that the young stars learned how to win.
And they learned by losing.
Brown joined the Celtics first after being drafted by the team out of UC Berkley with the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. A year later, Tatum joined the team after also being selected with the third overall selection after a single year at Duke.
Neither player paid immediate dividends in their rookie seasons, but after two seasons, they both began to ascend the ladders of NBA stardom.
Tatum made the All-Star first in year three when he averaged 23.4 ppg, 7 rpg and 3 apg. Brown joined him on the team a year later in his fifth season after averaging 24.7 ppg, 6 rpg and 3.4 apg. Since that time, Brown has made the team three of four years while Tatum made it five straight years, which includes being an All-NBA 1st teamer the last three seasons.
While they both experienced individual success, they couldn’t win a title, something they were consistently criticized for.
Over their first six years together, the pair made the Eastern Conference Finals four times and advanced to the NBA Finals once, where they lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games in 2022.
At the start of this season, everyone knew the Celtics were a great team, one made even better with the acquisition of Jrue Holiday. Yet despite the talent, the question still remained.
Could Tatum and Brown work together to elevate Boston to a championship?
Tatum always seemed to get it the worst. Critics panned him for not being a leader while others said that Brown was actually better than him and that he always disappeared in big games.
This year, Tatum learned how to win. He learned that it wasn’t about him or his stats. Instead, it was about understanding what he needed to do in order for the Celtics to win.
So if that meant deferring to Brown on some nights, no problem. If that meant letting Jrue dictate the offense, no problem. As long as the wins kept piling up, it was all good.
It was a lesson learned by his idol, Kobe Bryant, who realized that he had to change his way of thinking to win a title post-Shaq. It was the same lesson MJ learned that helped him finally beat his nemesis, the Detroit Pistons.
After losing the biggest games, the best players learn how to win. They remember the feeling of defeat and do what’s necessary to never experience that pain and agony again.
So Tatum happily took the backseat when necessary, which included during the NBA Finals. And that doesn’t mean that his production suddenly got worse.
Instead of focusing on scoring, he did everything else his team needed from him to win. So even though Tatum’s scoring dipped from 27.2 last postseason to 25 ppg this one, his assists jumped from 5.3 to 6.3 per game. He also continued to rebound, pulling in almost 10 rebounds per game (9.7).
In Game 3, Tatum and Brown made team history by becoming the first duo with 30 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in an NBA Finals Game, going for 31, 6, 5 and 30, 8, 8, respectively.
In the Game 5 closeout, Tatum stepped up again, going for 31, 8 and 11 while Brown had 21, 8 and 6.
When it came time for the trophy presentation, many, including Brown, were shocked when he given the Bill Russell Award for Finals MVP after averaging 23 ppg, 5.5 rpg and 3.6 apg, which was lower than Tatum’s 25, 9.7 and 6.3.
To Brown, his award was all about the team and his teammate, Jayson Tatum.
“This was a full team effort,” said Brown. “It could have gone to anybody, it could have gone to Jayson. I can’t talk enough about his selflessness, I can’t talk enough about his attitude and how he approached not just the series or the finals, but the playoffs in general.”
Some say Tatum looked surprised and disappointed when Brown’s name was called, but in the end, Tatum walked off the court with the trophy and celebrated with Brown, his son Deuce and teammates in the locker room.
“I had to listen to all the s**t people said about me, and tonight…it was worth it,” said an emotional Tatum.
That’s a sign of maturity and understanding that the goal of winning a title was the most important thing. Individual accolades are great, but triple-doubles didn’t help Luka win the title. Taking the final shot wasn’t always necessary for MJ.
On Tuesday morning, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown woke up NBA Champions. After five trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and two trips to the NBA Finals, the duo finally secured what so many have tried and failed to. Most significantly, they silenced the doubters who harassed them about past failures.
So now the question is can they start a dynasty? Last July, Brown signed a five-year, $303.7 million extension. Today, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Tatum is eligible for a five-year, $315 million extension. That means that Boston will have two players earning over $120 million per year combined.
But to Tatum, the only thing he cares about is the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy. So to all remaining doubters, he has a simple response.
