Before the Boston Celtics hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night at TD Garden, Jaylen Brown made a pregame appearance on NBC. While speaking with Maria Taylor, Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and Carmelo Anthony, the former NBA Finals MVP discussed his recent conversation with Jayson Tatum.
As the latter was preparing to make his season debut, the Celtics' star duo made sure they were on the same page.
"We just communicated that it's going to be me and you."
— NBA on NBC and Peacock (@NBAonNBC) March 22, 2026
Jaylen Brown talks about a meeting he had with Jayson Tatum and the rest of the Celtics team ahead of Tatum's return to action. pic.twitter.com/tJvVgwoP9V
"It was great," said Brown about his discussion with Tatum. "The initial conversation, having that communication, sometimes, these guys, you know, you gotta do what you gotta do, it's a job. Sometimes, your communication falls off. So, being able to get back on the same page is important, but it's gonna take more communication as the year goes on. Things change, you [have] got adversity, ups and downs.
"We just communicated that it's gonna be me and you. So, our communication sets the tone for the rest of the team, and we've both gotta be better going forward, if we want this thing to work."
Don't believe in contrived narratives
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have pushed past the noise their entire careers. For years, the narrative was that they couldn't win a championship together. That willingly ignored the success that the tandem was leading the Celtics to, despite neither individual being in their prime yet. In their first season together with both of them in the early stages of their physical and athletic primes, they led Boston to banner 18.
With that tired schtick no longer available for use, the new angle is pondering whether they can co-exist at a championship level now that Tatum is returning from an Achilles tear and Brown has elevated his game, putting his name in the MVP conversation.
Regardless of whether they're able to ignore the outside noise or if these narratives even existed, the communication between the two is paramount.
As Brown made clear, they understand that they need each other to accomplish the goal that matters most to them. With it comes individual accolades. And with the circumstances constantly changing, especially once the playoffs arrive, that ability to remain on the same page will matter more than ever.
Their ability to remain in synch has helped create ample room for both to shine while driving team success.
As Tatum noted about their ability to empower each other while speaking on the subject after the Celtics' 120-112 win over the Phoenix Suns, "I think we've done a really good job of that the last nine years, especially probably these last like six, you know, we've just found a way to really complement each other on both ends of the floor and win a bunch of basketball games, win a bunch of playoff series, and win a championship. So, just something we've been doing for a long time."