A Summer of Transformation for Tatum and Brown
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had always maintained a professional relationship during the offseasons, often keeping in touch via text and occasionally running into each other between playoff runs and training camps. They were teammates and colleagues, but not close friends. Offseasons tend to feel short when playoff runs are long, and last summer was particularly brief after the Celtics lost a Game 7 to the Miami Heat in the conference finals. Tatum turned an ankle, and Brown couldn't pick up the slack. It was a loss that could have torn the team apart.
The Celtics faced looming financial and structural challenges, especially with Brown's upcoming contract. Both stars sensed the urgency. Despite the patience shown by the Celtics organization, fans and media were growing restless. In a pivotal moment, Brown called Tatum to suggest they work out together during the offseason. Assistant coach Sam Cassell arranged the workouts, while trainer Drew Hanlen ran them. Paul Pierce even joined them, lifting weights and participating in workouts. They pushed each other, cementing a bond that carried into one of the most dominant seasons in NBA history.
Overcoming Adversity
Tatum and Brown had always been good and talented, but the game needed to slow down for them. They faced numerous challenges, including ego issues, tough opponents, and injuries, but never lost faith. The Celtics organization made wholesale changes to support their young stars. Brad Stevens transitioned from coach to president of basketball operations, Ime Udoka was hired and then fired as head coach, and Joe Mazzulla, initially an assistant, was promoted to head coach. The team also brought in three veteran stars to mentor Tatum and Brown, leaning into them as the team's leaders.
The Decision to Keep Them Together
Brad Stevens played a crucial role in keeping Brown and Tatum together. He endorsed drafting each of them and built the team around their talents. Over the years, Stevens turned down trades for several big-name players and often reassured Brown of the organization’s commitment. This culminated in Brown signing the largest contract in NBA history, which he used as motivation to improve. Brown played the best basketball of his career in the playoffs, earning MVP honors in both the conference finals and the NBA Finals.
The Journey to Championship Glory
Tatum and Brown heard the media criticisms but blocked them out. Tatum's 6-year-old son, Deuce, symbolizes his journey with the Celtics. After losing the 2022 Finals, Tatum focused on addressing weaknesses in his game and improved significantly in the subsequent playoffs. Tatum and Brown’s story often involves their evolving personal relationship, which played a key role in their success. They won together, rendering debates about their relationship irrelevant. The Celtics enjoyed a highly successful season with minimal drama, thanks in part to head coach Joe Mazzulla’s focus on maintaining a growth mentality.
Quotes from the Journey
"We were always good and talented. The game needed to slow down," Tatum said, reflecting on their growth. "Oh, they didn't win it. They can't play together. They should trade him," was a common refrain from critics. But, as Brown noted, "It's what it's all about. When we're all done in our time with the Celtics, as coaches, as players, all that's going to really matter is how we treated each other. Nothing else matters."
"I always felt for him in that regard. I think now that maybe I could have been better," Tatum admitted, acknowledging their earlier struggles. "You worry about how some people would handle that. Not Jaylen. He's a worker. He just wants to get better. He takes everything as motivation to improve," he added.
Brown’s response to winning the MVP was humble: "If you would have asked me that maybe a year ago, I would probably say yeah. But just at the point I got to right now, it feels great. Any of the personal awards, it is what it is." Reflecting on their relationship, he said, "I trusted him. He trusted me. And we did it together." Tatum shared a poignant memory: "He was born six weeks into the season and I was scared. I was like, 'I don't want to roll over on him.'"
"He was scared s---, just like I was as a father. No one's ready to have a child when they're still living out their childhood dream. But I've seen him grow so much. He's really a great dad," Brown remarked, speaking about Tatum's growth as both a player and a father.
Summing up their journey, Tatum said, "It took being relentless. It took being on the other side of this and losing in the Finals and being at literally the lowest point in a basketball career that you could be, to next year, to the following year, thinking that was going to be the time, and come up short again."
Brown's final words capture the magnitude of their achievement: "Now, to elevate yourself in a space that, you know, all your favorite players are in, everybody that they consider greats or legends have won a championship, and all of the guys I looked up to won a championship, multiple championships. Now I can, like, walk in those rooms and be a part of that. It's a hell of a feeling. This is more -- I dreamed about what it would be like, but this is 10 times better."
The once-critical discourse around Tatum and Brown has quieted. As Mazzulla wisely noted, "To me, teams thrive when there's little drama and they're moving in one direction." And the direction for Tatum, Brown, and the Celtics is clear: towards sustained excellence and more championship glory.