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Long before they were a superstar duo for the Boston Celtics, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum crossed paths in the AAU circuit and at the University of Kansas on visits. There’s even a photo of the two from that weekend in 2014 that has popped up on social media on occasion.
It’s wild to think how far these two have come. Neither player ended up at KU, with Brown heading to Cal while Tatum suited up for Duke, but that picture is extremely coincidental considering they’re the faces of the Celtics franchise now. Speaking on their relationship, Brown had a hilarious reason for that photo. Via Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports:
“[Tatum] came and took a picture with me because I was the man,” said the Celtics guard. “So he came over and was like, ‘Jaylen, can I take a picture?’ I was like, ‘Cool. You know I’m always here for my fans.’ That’s how it went.”
Tatum just totally went along with that notion, too:
“If it makes for a good story,” shrugged Tatum while Brown laughed. “So be it.”
The Celtics will be relying on Brown and Tatum heavily once again this season. Tatum is coming off an All-Star campaign where he averaged 26.4 points, 7.4 boards, and 4.3 assists while Brown missed substantial time due to injuries after also suiting up in the ASG. Boston as a whole had their troubles staying healthy in 2020/21, but with their two best players at full strength, the hope is the C’s can get back to the playoffs and get past the first round this time around.
The Celtics also did a good job strengthening their roster, bringing in Dennis Schroder on a one-year deal, while also adding Josh Richardson and former player Al Horford. But more important than the rest will be the chemistry between the two Jay’s. Evidently, they’re pretty comfortable with each other.