Jayson Tatum says he and Jaylen Brown ‘knew’ they would win title eventually

When the Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA Championship, it was a long time coming. They had made long playoff run after long playoff run, but each time, they fell just short of their ultimate goal. So, when they finally got over the hump, a massive sense of relief fell over the franchise, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

As soon as the final buzzer sounded, Tatum hunched over in disbelief. He picked up his son, Deuce, creating one of the most iconic NBA photos in recent memory. Everyone on the Celtics had a smile stretching from ear to ear as confetti fell all over the court.

But while it always felt like this Celtics team couldn’t break the barrier of a title, Tatum always knew he and Brown would reach that ultimate peak.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown always 'knew' Celtics would win NBA championship

Tatum recently spoke with Bobby Krivitsky of SI Media Group, and he said that he and Brown believed it was only a matter of time before they won a championship.

“It means a lot. It's been a long journey,” Tatum said of how it felt to finally win with Brown. “Seven years of us being teammates together and with a lot of the other guys, and everybody knows, getting to the conference finals so many times and into the Finals and falling short. 

“We knew that we were gonna get it done. It was just a matter of time. We were on the right track. We had a sustained level of success. We just had to get over the hump.”

For the past seven years, Tatum and Brown have slowly become one of the best duos in the NBA. This past season, they reached their peaks. Tatum made his third straight All-NBA First Team, and Brown took home the Eastern Conference finals and Finals MVP trophies. Both made the All-Star team and more importantly, they won a title.

Now, next season will provide an extra challenge for the superstar tandem. And they’re coming off a summer where they both received some extra motivation.

Usually, championship-winning teams suffer a hangover the following season. But the Celtics may have just enough to avoid that fate.

Brown was snubbed from the Team USA roster for the 2024 Olympics, and Tatum barely got playing time. He was benched in two of the six games, and in the other four, he barely got playing time.

So, while they managed to achieve their ultimate goal, their eyes are still pointed toward the future.