Former All-NBA Guard Blasts Attempts to Break Up Celtics Stars: 'Diabolical Tactic'

Bobby Krivitsky | Aug 19, 2024

Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and guard Jaylen Brown (7) celebrates with the Larry O’Brien Trophy after beating the Dallas Mavericks in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals to win the NBA Championship at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

Two months ago, the Celtics reached the NBA mountain top, silencing the perennially absurd and clickbait-driven questions about whether Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown could win a championship together.

While the nature of how critics and talking heads work isn't to turn around and admit they were wrong after the star tandem led Boston to Banner 18 in their first season playing together in their primes, one would have anticipated calmer waters for Tatum and Brown this summer.

Instead, the latter was an Olympic snub, and the former sat out multiple matchups against Serbia while in Paris, where he had a limited role.

On Gilbert Arenas' podcast, Gil's Arena, the three-time All-NBA selection fed into the notion that the motive behind the contrived narratives that Joe Mazzulla took aim at during the playoffs and what has ensued this summer is that there are people who want to break up a tandem that has reached the Eastern Conference Finals in five of their first seven years together, the NBA Finals twice, and won a championship.

"They (are) breaking this team up, man," said Arenas. "Have you ever seen a championship team be dissected the way this has? The best player, if you're it or he's it, you got the world doing that. Then, one doesn't make the (Olympic) team. He didn't get invited."

The former All-Star also noted the U.S. men's basketball team picking teammate Derrick White -- who repeatedly excelled at the Olympics -- over Brown, Tatum's benchings, and even mentioned Brown sitting courtside at the Celtics-Lakers Summer League game, where cameras captured him saying he doesn't believe Bronny James is an NBA player.

"Boom, now Bron (is) mad at you," said Arenas.

However, Jaylen Brown, who told this author that night in Las Vegas that he's already turned the page to Banner 19, stating, "You get more motivation to follow it," also said his Olympic snub has him "Super fired up. I've got all the motivation in the world," adding, "I love that, honestly."

Tatum, who described his experience with Team USA as "challenging and humbling," could also use it as fuel as a 26-year-old star entering the peak of his powers builds his legacy.

So, regardless of whether the hope of separating them inspired past criticisms of what the duo can accomplish together or if the same motive played a role in what happened between them and Team USA, despite the headaches those outside noises cause, this may bring them closer together. It could also benefit them individually and do the same for the Celtics.

Warning: The following is a link to the Gil's Arena podcast, which includes the use of profanity.

Further Reading

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Jayson Tatum Opens Up About 'Challenging and Humbling' Olympic Experience

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