Jason Kidd takes pouring soda on the floor to next level with shot at Jayson Tatum

Jason Kidd reached a new gamesmanship high, or low, depending on your perspective, on June 8 when he challenged Jayson Tatum -- calling Jaylen Brown the Boston Celtics' best player.

Is he wrong? It's hard to tell. Boston has faced minimal resistance thus far in the postseason, and only briefly experienced it in the third quarter of Game 1 against Kidds' Mavericks. The Jays were also equally dominant against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals; ending up .5 points apart per game and four points apart in field goal percentage.

But Kidd knew what he was doing while speaking of the Celtics' stars ahead of Game 2 of the series.

"Well, Jaylen's their best player," Kidd said (h/t The New York Post). “He plays both sides, defense and offense, at a high rate and he’s been doing that the whole playoffs,” Kidd said of Brown. “You talk about Eastern Conference finals MVP, and he seems like he’s continued to pick up where he left off.”

The "Well..." comes off like a designed power play. Tatum has the power, though. He owns the opportunity to make Kidd look a fool on the grandest stage.

Not that he needs to, though.

Jayson Tatum is not in competition with Jaylen Brown

It speaks volumes that the boldest Kidd strategy is to try and destroy the Celtics' chemistry from within. Tatum and Brown are key components of a team so dominant that trolling gamesmanship is needed.

Luckily, they are not in direct competition. It matters none in that locker room whether Tatum is the best player or Brown is. If the Cs are the best team and hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy, they are immortal in Boston. And history.

Game 1's hero was Kristaps Porzingis. He doesn't even get mentioned in these conversations. That's how good this Cs team is, three wins away from Banner 18.

And, as mentioned, immortality.