For Jaylen Brown (27 years old) and Jayson Tatum (26 years old), there were not seven years of reflection, but seven years of patience and learning. Seven years for the Celtics wing duo to finally win a title. From the surprise during their first playoff campaign to this Game 5 of the Finals against the Mavs, through the disappointment of the 1st round in 2021 or the disillusionment of the 2022 Finals, the road has been long and tortuous for the Jay's.
“It’s a surreal feeling. I haven't really realized it yet. I'm just trying to, I guess, enjoy the moment. I kept saying, 'Wow,' admits Jayson Tatum at a press conference. “The last seven years have been a roller coaster of ups and downs. I had to listen to all the crap people said about me, and tonight it was worth it. »
Longest wait for a winning duo
The Tatum-Brown duo has had playoff matches. They played 107 together before winning a title. This is the longest wait for a victorious duo! However, as early as Jayson Tatum's rookie season, the Celtics went to the conference finals. With the arrival of Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, they were quickly promised to reach the heights. But around them, the grafts have not always taken hold, like that of Kemba Walker, and the duo has even been singled out. What if they were the problem? Were they compatible? Were they even rivals? With them, we asked ourselves the same questions as for Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen at the end of the 80s, then Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal at the beginning of the 2000s.
“We learned from all our mistakes. All this adversity has made us stronger, more resilient. All season, we could see it. We made all the sacrifices. We played at a very high level on both ends of the court. We didn't skip any steps. And here's the result, “ Lance Jaylen Brown. “But all these experiences have led us here. All the times we failed, felt like we were letting the city down, like we were letting ourselves down, it all added up to this moment. »
This victory not only crowns the efforts of the two Celtics stars, but also the confidence of the franchise. As a coach or manager, Brad Stevens always defended them, and when he became manager, he found the right players to supervise them. There was the transfer of Derrick White, then Kristaps Porzingis and finally Jrue Holiday. Without forgetting the return of Al Horford, whom Jayson Tatum considers “ the best teammate of his career. »
The Brown-Tatum duo simply needed to be better supervised to gain maturity, but also learn to make sacrifices. And both benefit from it. When Tatum was elected to the First All-NBA Team and went to the Olympics, it was Brown who won the trophies for MVP of the conference finals, then MVP of the Finals. “We won it together” Brown said to Tatum when receiving this trophy.
“The media said all sorts of things: that we couldn’t play together, that we would never win…”
“It's even nicer to know that we had to go through this whole journey, the heartbreak, the embarrassment, the defeats, to get to the top, » adds the Finals MVP. “Just our progress together. Jayson and I have been through a lot. We have been playing together for seven years now. We have experienced a lot, defeats and expectations. The media said all kinds of things: that we couldn't play together, that we would never win… We heard it all. But we just shrugged it off and moved on. I trusted him. He trusted me. And we did it together. It's incredible and it feels good. »
Now all they have to do is win more, like the greatest tandems in history. From Pippen and Jordan to the Bulls, to Curry and Thompson to the Warriors and Tony Parker and Tim Duncan to the Spurs. Without forgetting, obviously, since they play in Boston, Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.
