We’re in the 9th season of the Jayson Tatum/Jaylen Brown experience, and despite the fact that this era has brought almost nothing but joy to Celtics fans, there are many who still look to divide. After winning the title in 2024, you’d think this unwarranted narrative would have been gone for good, but somehow, with Tatum being out this season, and the team thriving with JB at the helm, here we are. Again.
The two superstars have always shown a kinship, propped each other up, and acknowledged a sense of connectedness. There has never been any real animosity between the two, or any sign of discontent on either side that wasn’t completely forced or fabricated by fans or the media.
They get along too well, create too little drama, and win too much. And it bothers people. People want drama; they want the takes. They want them not to get along, and they’ll look for any excuse to tear them apart.
Sure enough, that’s exactly what happened after JB posted a message on his social media platforms heading into the All-Star break. Brown posted a side-by-side comparison of the team’s stats and record at the break one year ago versus today, highlighting the similarities and how much they’ve overachieved this season.
On Twitter, he offered the caption, “I’m proud of this group and staff/ office looking forward to 2nd half go Cs”. And yet, many people saw this as a self-serving slight towards Tatum and the players from last season’s team.
Jaylen Brown is rightfully proud of this Celtics team
Sadly, it became a topic of conversation online and in local Boston sports media (shocking, I know), but Jaylen did a great job, as usual, of squashing any narrative and making those who rushed to demean him look done.
Noa Dalzell, who covers the team for Celtics Blog, wrote an amazing piece on Brown and the Celtics’ unlikely success this season. She outlined how much pride he has in the team’s success this year, and how great it has been to lead this young group of players.
She was also able to ask Jaylen about the recent social media post, which allowed him to elaborate and clarify his intentions, “The thing I posted, that was about celebrating our group. People make it seem like it was about me, because that’s what people wanted it to be about. But in reality, I’m just so proud of our group. I’m extremely proud.”
It’s great that Dalzell was able to highlight what an incredible leader Brown is, how lucky Celtics fans are to have him, and what this season has meant to him, but it’s sad that there are still fans who don’t appreciate it.
If any so-called “fans” still have a problem with Jaylen at this point, they may want to look in the mirror and see the problem for what it is. The real ones understand what a blessing it has been to have JB in Boston for the last decade, and hope he’ll be a strong figure in the community and a Celtic for life.