Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown Respond to Jason Kidd's Bold Take About Boston Celtics

It doesn't seem the Dallas Mavericks head coach's attempt at splitting the Boston Celtics' locker room worked.

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) controls the ball against Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) in the third quarter during game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Jason Kidd dropped a bomb on Saturday in an attempt to get into the Boston Celtics locker room. He claimed Jaylen Brown is the team's best player, trying to split Brown and Jayson Tatum. As someone who's been in The Finals as the star player, Kidd knows what he's doing here.

“Jaylen's their best player,” Kidd said. “Just looking at what he does defensively, he picked up Luka [Doncic] full court, he got to the free throw line, he did everything. That’s what your best player does.”

This comes after the Celtics dismantled Jason Kidd's Dallas Mavericks 107-89 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Kidd is willing to do anything and everything possible to gain an edge ahead of Game 2, and it shows. It doesn't quite seem to be working, though.

READ MORE: Dallas Mavericks' Kyrie Irving Speaks on Hostile Boston Celtics Crowd, Chess Match of NBA Finals

“No reaction. This is a team sport," Tatum responded. "...We understand people try to drive a wedge between us. I guess it’s a smart thing to try to do. … This is not our first time at the rodeo.”

It appears the comments didn't bother Tatum much, who used his gravity and passing ability to help control Game 1 of the series. Not only that, but it didn't move Brown, either, as both claimed that basketball is a team game.

“I don’t have no reaction. It’s a team game," Brown claimed." I’m trying to focus on that. Everybody has their own opinions.”

Evidently, they're right. It is a team basketball game, and the Celtics' rotation from top to bottom is incredible. It's the very reason Boston posted 64 wins in the regular season. Still, Kidd has to do anything possible to give his team an advantage in this series, even if the attempt is obvious and fails.

In Game 1, Mavericks' Luka Doncic posted a game-high 30 points, but his supporting cast, including Kyrie Irving, simply wasn't good enough. Outside of playing mind games through media, it'll be interesting to see what Kidd has up his sleeve to either slow down the Celtics or get the rest of the Mavericks going.

READ MORE: Kyrie Irving Has To Be Better For The Dallas Mavericks in The NBA Finals, And He Knows It

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