After one of the best regular season wins the Celtics have scored in a long time, the vibes were extremely high in Boston. After getting down by 13 points early, the Celtics came alive and beat the Thunder by double digits, dropping 70 points on the historic OKC defense in the second half alone.
Both of the Jays were completely locked in, and this was the best they’ve looked together this season, with Tatum doing a little bit of everything, and Jaylen Brown taking the game over and outdueling Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on both ends of the floor.
After the game, JT was asked by Abby Chin what’s different now about JB, and gave a perfectly eloquent and insightful response about his superstar teammate:
“This season, he's been able to be in positions and moments of really just taking control — and moments throughout the course of the game, late game, he's just been able to really have those reps. Not that he didn't have them over the years that we played together, right? We won a championship, and he made big plays in every game that we've been in. But I think now, this season, he’s just been able to take more ownership.”
“We all knew he could do it. It's just when guys get more of an opportunity, they get to show it.”
For two guys who hate each other, the Jays sure seem to mesh well
As much as the haters have tried to divide the Jays and pit them against each other over the years, they continue to show and prove that they are a perfect pairing with one common goal in mind, and they’ll do whatever it takes to work together and make it happen.
You would have thought winning a title together would silence the noise, but with Tatum’s achilles injury and Brown taking the lead role, the toxic discourse immediately picked back up right where it left off, and maybe even worse than ever.
But as much as fans and media members may try to tear them apart, the Jays themselves have never done or said anything but the right thing. And this answer from Tatum is just the latest example. People want to create fan fiction and imagine that JT is unhappy about Brown’s ascension, but in reality, he perfectly understands it and couldn’t be more supportive.
It shouldn’t come as any surprise at this point, as they’ve always done this over the years, but it’s still nice to see two alphas coexisting perfectly and supporting each other.
Tatum and Brown solely focused on winning
At the end of the day, they both just want to win as much as possible. They are elite players and also elite basketball minds. They play the game the right way, and they know that to be the best versions of themselves, they need each other.
It’s obvious to anyone who has been closely following the team and their careers over the years, but hearing them talk about it will never get old. Celtics fans are lucky to have these two franchise legends in green, hopefully for their entire careers.
There are some detractors out there who may never get it, but Tatum and Brown are in complete lockstep and focused on raising another banner. And that’s all that matters.