Jaylen Brown's Answer about Duo of Him and Tatum a Testament to His Leadership

Bobby Krivitsky | Oct 4, 2024

Jun 12, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and guard Jaylen Brown (7) celebrate after a play during the first quarter in game three of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

In their first game since lifting the Larry O'Brien Trophy, the Celtics registered a 107-103 win over the Nuggets at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

Jaylen Brown produced eight points, two rebounds, a pair of assists, a steal, and a block in 19 first-half minutes.

That includes a sequence where he uncorked a fadeaway jumper, then pinned a Vlatko Čančar layup attempt against the backboard.

He’s back 😤 pic.twitter.com/Wkqylf1c3S

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 4, 2024

Jayson Tatum, the other half of Boston's star wing tandem, shined with 12 points on 4/11 shooting from the field in the first two frames. That includes showing off his mechanical adjustments while faring 3/7 (42.9 percent) from beyond the arc.

Tatum, who, like Brown, played 19 minutes, all in the first half, also grabbed six rebounds, matching Luke Kornet for a team-high at intermission, and he led the Celtics with five assists in the opening 24 minutes.

After the victory, when asked about him and Tatum, Brown's answer perfectly captured his team-first approach.

"I know we like to highlight duos or individuals... I like to be a part of the team... that helps me be who I am."

Jaylen Brown was asked about being a part of a top duo in the league with JT ☘️ pic.twitter.com/yhR0CMArmx

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 4, 2024

"The sport is played five-on-five," responded Brown. "We need all of our teammates out there to contribute to help us be who they are. I think we've been able to accomplish a lot, but having great teammates as well has been able to help increase.  

"The sport is played five-on-five. I know we like to highlight duos or individuals for their play, but I like to be a part of the team and uplift the team because that helps me be who I am."

The duo are also far too savvy to slip up when asked questions that could get perceived as attempting to put one over the other or pit them against each other.

When asked what it meant to him to break through to his first NBA championship alongside Brown after years of coming within arms reach of the Larry O'Brien Trophy, Tatum conveyed the following to Boston Celtics on SI in an exclusive interview.

"It means a lot. It's been a long journey. Seven years of us being teammates together and with a lot of the other guys, and everybody knows, getting to the conference finals so many times and into the Finals and falling short. We knew that we were gonna get it done. It was just a matter of time. We were on the right track. We had a sustained level of success. We just had to get over the hump."

It's a reflection of two different individuals on and off the court who have built a bond that began before reaching the NBA. It's a friendship strengthened, not fractured, by contrived narratives and the success they've enjoyed in becoming arguably the two faces of Boston sports.