A Summer of Change for Tatum and Brown
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s off-court relationship was not particularly close. Over the summers, they mostly kept in touch via text messages and occasionally ran into each other between playoff runs and training camps. They were more like colleagues than close friends. The offseasons felt especially short when their playoff runs were long. Last summer, the Celtics faced a heartbreaking Game 7 loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals. Tatum turned an ankle, and Brown couldn't carry the load alone. It was a defeat that had the potential to rip the team apart, especially as Brown's contract was about to substantially raise the team’s payroll. Both stars sensed the urgency of their situation.
Despite the impatience of fans and the media, the Celtics organization remained patient with them. Feeling the weight of expectations, Brown reached out to Tatum with a proposal: to work out together during the offseason. Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell arranged the workouts, with trainer Drew Hanlen running them. Even Celtics legend Paul Pierce joined them in lifting weights and attending workouts. Through this rigorous regimen, Tatum and Brown pushed each other, strengthening their bond.
This newly forged bond was the bedrock for one of the most dominant seasons in NBA history.
Overcoming Adversity
Tatum and Brown always had the talent, but the game needed to slow down for them. Comparisons were made with dynamic duos like Shaquille O’Neal and Penny Hardaway. However, Tatum and Brown faced their own set of challenges—ego issues, tough opponents, and injuries—but they never lost faith. The Celtics, recognizing the potential in their young stars, made sweeping changes to support them. Brad Stevens transitioned from head coach to president of basketball operations. Ime Udoka was hired and then fired as head coach, with Joe Mazzulla stepping up from assistant to head coach. The team also brought in three veteran stars to serve as mentors.
The organization leaned heavily into Tatum and Brown as the team's leaders, making it clear that they were the future of the franchise.
The Decision to Keep Them Together
Brad Stevens played a pivotal role in keeping Brown and Tatum together. He had endorsed the drafting of each of them and carefully built the team around them. Over the years, he turned down trade opportunities for several big-name players, often reassuring Brown of the organization’s commitment to him. Stevens backed this commitment by signing Brown to the largest contract in NBA history. This act became a motivator for Brown to improve further. In the subsequent playoffs, Brown delivered the best basketball of his career, earning MVP honors in both the conference finals and the NBA Finals.
The Journey to Championship Glory
Tatum and Brown, no strangers to media criticism, managed to block out the noise. For Tatum, his 6-year-old son Deuce symbolized his journey with the Celtics. Both stars had endured losses, faced expectations, and navigated media speculation. Deuce particularly helped Tatum cope after losing the 2022 NBA Finals. Tatum used that defeat as fuel, focusing on training and addressing weaknesses in his game.
During the playoffs, Tatum exhibited significant improvement. His and Brown’s journey often gets framed through their personal relationship, but the ultimate success they achieved together rendered debates about their compatibility irrelevant. The Celtics enjoyed a highly successful season with minimal drama, largely attributed to the cohesive bond between their star players. Head coach Joe Mazzulla emphasized a growth mentality throughout the season.
Quotes from the Journey
“We were always good and talented. The game needed to slow down,” Tatum remarked. Addressing the criticisms, he added, "Oh, they didn't win it. They can't play together. They should trade him." Brown echoed a sentiment of unity: "I trusted him. He trusted me. And we did it together."
Reflecting on the team's internal culture, a Celtics representative 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."
Stevens spoke to Brown's response to adversity: "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." Brown, acknowledging past frustrations, 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."
Now, standing on the pinnacle of NBA success, Brown shared his elation: “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."
And so, despite the endless debates and the external doubts, Tatum and Brown proved that they could not only play together but thrive together. "The whole Jayson-Jaylen discussion in the national media is laughable to all of us," said a Celtics insider. As Brown succinctly put it, "To me, teams thrive when there's little drama and they're moving in one direction."