The Boston Celtics were told for years that they would have to break up the Jays in order to get over the hump. They kept at it and eventually won it all with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way.

The Celtics not only won the championship but went on a historic tear through the playoffs, losing just three games on their way to piling up 16 wins and never trailed in any series. Tatum and Brown have had a lot of different players around them and finally, in 2023-24, the supporting cast of Jrue Holiday, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis gave the star wings more than enough to win it all.

Brown was named the Finals MVP despite averaging fewer points, rebounds and assists per game than Tatum. His scoring efficiency and consistency across games made the difference, especially his outstanding Game 3 performance. Both players were very deserving and were the only players to receive FMVP votes. Although only one could have won it — along with the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, which also went to Brown — everyone knows that they led the way together. They each feel that way, too.

Tatum left a comment on Brown’s recent Instagram post to celebrate his Finals MVP. But Brown made it clear that the ultimate glory for the championship belonged to both of them, not just him. “We both the MVP,” he replied.

The Celtics' success exposed Tatum and Brown to higher levels of criticism than other players of their age were subjected to. The chances they had to win the championship in past seasons — and their failures to do so — made them heavily scrutinized before they even reached their primes.

Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown lead Celtics to championship in seventh season together

The Brooklyn Nets' urgency to make a splash in their new home gave the Celtics the draft capital they needed to add Brown and Tatum. The trade that sent Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn laid the groundwork for what is going to be a decade of championship contention for Boston.

From the days when Tatum was wearing #11 in the Summer League with the Celtics to taking LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals to continued playoff losses before the Finals to finally breaking through in 2022 to winning it all, Boston kept the Jays together, though there were some trade rumblings along the way. The payoff took a while to spawn but now that it has, it’s a fantastic display of patience and faith.

Marcus Smart ended up being the player the Celtics had to move on from in order to win it all. Trading him landed them Porzingis and a draft pick that was instrumental in landing Holiday. He played alongside Tatum and Brown for every season of their careers until this season. It was a massive risk that paid off handsomely already. And there’s still more coming in the following seasons.

The Celtics will be able to contend for the championship for years to come with Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum leading the way.