Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have undoubtedly been two of the most dynamic players in the NBA over the last few years. With the superstar duo leading the Boston Celtics to an NBA title in 2024, it can even be said that they have formed one of the league’s best tandems.
Despite their recent success with the Celtics, there have been rumblings about some friction between the two, though much of this has been shrugged off as speculation by outsiders. Still, Kendrick Perkins recently made an observation about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown during an interview with Yahoo! Sports that may be worth entertaining.
When referring to Jaylen Brown’s recurring livestreams in the context of recent trade rumors, Perkins stated:
“I think that the relationship overall has run its course, and not because Jaylen Brown hasn’t delivered on the floor, but it’s more so of Jaylen Brown with this. And I always say, I don’t have a problem with people doing podcasts, but you have to be very, very careful when you’re doing a podcast during the season. Because of that, that one thing could damage a locker room, right? It could, it could hurt relationships because you, like, you may say something that could be offensive, right?”
“I’m still waiting on Jayson Tatum to join Jaylen Brown’s stream. Like Jayson Tatum, I’ve seen him on a million podcasts, but I haven’t seen him join Jaylen Brown’s. Which shows me that that relationship off the floor ain’t really there.”
Perkins noted that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have won a championship together like this, hinting there may not be much need to read into this situation any further. However, when noting Brown’s ongoing streams during the season, Perkins shared that it may have caused a rift in the relationship with Tatum as well as the Celtics’ organization.
The current rumors suggest Brown’s position with the Celtics isn’t as stable as before. But it is still unknown whether the deteriorating relationship with Tatum has also played a role in this.
Colin Cowherd Claims Jayson Tatum Isn’t The Driving Force For The Celtics
As mentioned earlier, the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown has proven extremely successful for the Boston Celtics, even helping the franchise win its 18th NBA title. However, with Brown walking away with the Finals MVP, some questions have been raised about Tatum’s impact.
There is no argument about Tatum’s status as a superstar, but when comparing his ability to impact winning, Colin Cowherd was not as impressed.
“I’ve had this theory about the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum. It’s that he’s not fundamental to their winning like Jalen Brunson is, or Jokic, or Stephen Curry to their teams,” Cowherd stated.
Cowherd continued by pointing out how Jalen Brunson‘s mental fortitude and toughness in the NBA Finals helped lead the Knicks to a championship. When comparing Brunson to Tatum, he added:
“Tatum, meanwhile, is just really skilled and really talented. But I’ve always felt there is something missing. There are times when the Celtics, late in games, I am not sure Tatum is on the floor… To me, Tatum fits into the Celtics’ three-point system, but he does not feel like he is the system.”
In some ways, Cowherd’s comment may seem outrageous. But after doing a little digging, there may be some truth behind it after all.
Tatum has been phenomenal during his time with the Celtics. With averages of 23.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game over nine years in the NBA, this much is beyond doubt. However, despite Tatum missing most of the 2025-26 season due to injury, the Celtics remained dominant.
Jaylen Brown’s individual brilliance, paired with Boston’s grit and phenomenal ability to execute, kept the team in contention for the top spot in the East.
Tatum’s contributions over 16 games were noteworthy, as he posted 21.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. But even after Jayson Tatum returned, the Celtics didn’t seem much different, primarily because the team already looked competitive.
With the Celtics suffering an embarrassing first-round exit at the hands of the Philadelphia 76ers, there may be some questions raised about the state of the roster. However, given how impactful Jaylen Brown was last season, Boston may face tougher questions concerning their core this summer.
