Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum has been surprisingly outshined by Jaylen Brown throughout their playoff run this season. If and when the Celtics hoist the Larry O'Brien trophy, Brown will most likely be the Finals MVP.
However, Tatum isn't concerned with that fact.
“It's important, but it's not like the main thing,” Tatum said on winning Finals MVP. “Isiah Thomas, [Tim Duncan, Larry Bird] didn't win Finals MVP every time, Steph Curry only has one, Kobe [Bryant] won two out of the five championships. As a competitor, you want to win and accomplish everything in front of you. But I would not be the slightest bit sad if I didn't win Finals MVP. I would be ecstatic just to win the Finals.”
Brown has bested him in several categories in this series. While they're close in points per game (Brown with 20.8, Tatum with 20), Brown is shooting at a 49.2% clip, while Tatum's is just 36.5%. Brown also has more steals and blocks, as well as a better plus-minus.
With Tatum typically having better regular-season numbers, many assumed he'd be the “straw that stirred the drink” for Boston throughout the playoffs. While he's had plenty of solid performances, the Celtics have relied more on their depth and team-oriented style of basketball over star power.
If Tatum doesn't win Finals MVP, how does that affect his legacy as one of this generation's NBA stars?
Tatum is still a top player, but he doesn't carry the Celtics
Tatum does deserve credit for prioritizing the team over his ego, as not every NBA star can do that. As Brown's star continues to rise, Tatum also ceded some of the locker-room leadership duties to him as well.
Brown sounded off on his message to the team ahead of Game 5 Monday, via NBC Sports.
“It's just what we've all worked for,” Brown said. “We're at the precipice of completing what we set out to do in the beginning of the season. I think it's not difficult to get everyone in that locker room on the same page right now. It just needs to remind everybody right now that it's just one possession at a time, we do it together, and we fight like our lives depend on it, and I think we'll be alright.”
While Brown has been ahead of Tatum in this series, Tatum isn't far behind, either. The 26-year-old still leads the team in rebounds and assists this series, with 7.8 and 6.3 per game, respectively. He could win a Final MVP as soon as next year, and the entire narrative would switch.
However, one of the reasons this Boston team is so good is its balance. The squad's MVP is almost irrelevant, as its ability to routinely get the entire rotation involved is why it's on the cusp of winning it all.
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