Celtics’ Jaylen Brown Delivers Beautiful Message to Jayson Tatum After Finals MVP Win

BOSTON — Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have every right to want the spotlight and glory for themselves. Still, they decided to share it, and that sums up why the C’s are champions.

On Monday night, the Celtics won 106-88 against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. It was the Celtics’ first championship in over 15 years, and it’s the first title for Tatum and Brown.

Boston’s winning run ended the same way it began: with Tatum and Brown leading the way. The former dropped 31 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds and two steals in what was undoubtedly his best outing of the series. The latter had 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals, which was enough to earn him the Bill Russell Award for Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals.

When Brown was announced as the winner of the prestigious award, he seemed a little shocked. Once the microphone in hand, he immediately congratulated his teammates, and Tatum in particular:

“I shared this with my brothers and my partner in crime, Jayson Tatum.”

There was no sign of jealousy on Tatum’s face (much to the dismay of Miami Heat lifer Udonis Haslem). There was only pride and elation. His smile illustrates how much the Celtics wanted to win for each other.

Additionally, Tatum’s smile reveals the selflessness of the 2023-24 Celtics and how they shared and sacrificed their way to the top of the league.

What Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had to say about the Finals MVP

When Brown was asked if he became the Finals MVP, he once again credited his fellow Celtics.

“I am blessed and I am grateful. It was a complete team effort,” he said in his post-match press conference. “We had a great team. My teammates were great. They allowed me to lead us on both sides of the ball, and we just went out and played on our home court. It’s simply incredible.

Last season, the C’s had to watch the Heat celebrate the Eastern Conference championship on the floor. In these playoffs, Boston protected its home court well, losing only twice at TD Garden in four series and going 3-0 in the Finals. The Green Team’s growth in the clutch, in its own building, and in the playoffs in general ultimately culminated in the raising of Banner #18.

“You know, it could have gone to anyone,” Brown said of winning the Finals MVP trophy. “It could have gone to Jayson. Jayson, as if I can’t speak highly enough of his selflessness. You know, I can’t speak highly enough of his attitude. It’s just the way he approached not only this series or the Finals, but the playoffs in general. And we did it together, as a team, and that was the most important thing.

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are primarily considered scorers. And while they certainly can do that, they’ve been excellent playmakers throughout the playoffs. The dynamic duo led the C’s in assists and points in the Finals and did the same in Game 5.

“The main goal for us was to win a championship,” Tatum told the media in his postgame remarks. “We didn’t care who got the Finals MVP. I know I need (Brown) throughout this journey and he needs me. So, you know, it was great to see him have that moment and share that moment with him. I am extremely happy for him. Well-deserved. It was a great moment. He deserved it.

The Mavericks showed Tatum a lot of defensive pressure in the short series. Every time he went to the rim, there were at least two or three defenders to surround him. Fortunately for the C’s, that left open shooters who could make Dallas pay for their excessive help. In fact, eight of Brown’s points came off Tatum’s assists.

“We’ve been playing together for seven years now,” Brown said of his relationship with Tatum. “We’ve been through a lot, losses, expectations. The media said all kinds of things: we can’t play together, we will never win. We’ve heard it all. But we just blocked it and moved on. I trusted him. He trusted me. And we did it together. To get to this point and share this experience with JT is just awesome, you know what I mean? It’s incredible and it feels good.

Despite all the doubters, Boston’s local tandem never let outside noise impact them on the floor. Even when they fell short in the 2022 Finals and numerous conference finals, they stuck together and proved that the Celtics organization made the right choice in handing them the keys to the franchise.

“Banner No. 18 has been hanging over our heads for so many years,” Tatum admitted. “Knowing that we’re going to be etched in history, and it’s still not as inscribed. I’m just still trying to process everything. But we did it. We won a championship.

The story does not end there. Jaylen Brown is under contract and Jayson Tatum is eligible for a gigantic supermax extension in July. If the Celtics come back, they could have the opportunity to increase their ring count.

“I think we have an opportunity. I think we definitely have a window,” Brown said. “We take it one day at a time. We absolutely must make sure we stay healthy. But you know, we’re going to enjoy the summer, enjoy the moment, and then we’ll come back to it next year.