Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are in their seventh season together as teammates on the Boston Celtics and it appears they have formed quite a bond. On the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, Simmons shared how Tatum told East head coach Doc Rivers during the 2024 All-Star Game to give Brown his minutes so he could win MVP.
“At the All-Star Game, when everybody was going for the MVP, it hit that point… The East was up 20, so (Damian Lillard) was in there and (Tyrese) Haliburton and Jaylen Brown was going for it,” Simmons said. “And Tatum went to Doc Rivers and he said, ‘Give Jaylen my minutes. I want to see him get MVP.’ I think those guys like each other. To me, that’s a real dynamic, those guys have grown up together and I think they look after each other.”
Awesome Jaylen/Jayson story from the all star game. They’ve been pushing each other to be great since day one. pic.twitter.com/iFw19EOBUF
— Jake Issenberg (@jakeissenberg) February 26, 2024
Brown would end up playing over 22 minutes in the game, which was the most among the reserves in the East. The 27-year-old finished with 36 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal, but it still wasn’t enough to earn him MVP honors. Damian Lillard won MVP by recording 39 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 steal.
Tatum, meanwhile, would end up playing just under 22 minutes and put up 20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block. The 25-year-old was the MVP of the 2023 All-Star Game after recording 55 points, and it was good on his part to want Brown to win the award this time.
While Tatum and Brown may not exactly come across as best friends, it is clear they have a lot of respect and admiration for each other. Brown even brought Tatum out on the court when he was participating in the Dunk Contest, which he also unfortunately failed to win.
Regardless, both he and Tatum have bigger goals in mind. They have their eyes fixed on winning their first championship and have led the Celtics to a league-best 45-12 record. This season appears to be their best shot at finally getting over the line, after years of heartbreak.
It has been a case of so close yet so far for Tatum and Brown since they became teammates. In the six seasons prior to this one, they lost once in the NBA Finals in 2022 and were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals in 2018, 2020, and 2023.
It is actually impressive just how good the Celtics have been with these two leading the way, but at some point, they have to break through and win that championship.
Jayson Tatum Believes He Is The Best Player In The NBA
While Brown has impressed this season, Tatum has been the one who has stood out yet again for the Celtics. The five-time All-Star is averaging 26.9 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in 2023-24, and Tatum believes he is the best player in the NBA now.
“Myself. I got a lot of respect for a lot of guys in the league. Giannis for sure, Jokic, Embiid. The list goes on, the league is in a great place. I truly do believe every night I step on the floor, I’m the best player.”
That’s the mentality you need to have, but I wouldn’t say Tatum is the best player in the league. If he can lead the Celtics to the championship this season then he would have a strong argument for that title.
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