SAN FRANCISCO – Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are absolutely making the most of their first trip to the NBA Finals. The Boston Celtics duo was loose and open during their NBA Finals Media Day availabilities Wednesday, but it hasn't been easy by any stretch.

The Celtics duo reached the NBA Finals in their fifth season of playing together. Both Tatum, 23, and Brown, 25, took a few years to really develop into the two-way superstars that they've become. Over those years, however, many were calling for the pair of star forwards to be traded.

“They're in each other's way.”

“One of them's got to go.”

“You just can't win with these two as your best players.”

Those were among the things constantly said over the last couple of seasons, but especially when the Celtics fell short of their championship aspirations every April and May.

Boston, a city that's used to their professional sports teams winning, had to essentially tell their fans to be patient. From an organizational standpoint, retaining their young duo and allowing them to grow together was the only right move. The unexpected departure of Kyrie Irving set things back temporarily as far as a title pursuit goes, but allowed both Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to grow together. They've gone through the ‘ups' together and and had to face the ‘downs' together as well. Through it all, they've learned to spread their wings and have become one of the best 1-2 punches in the NBA today.

“I honestly believe [we're] just two young, extremely competitive guys that just really want to win at all costs,” Jayson Tatum said before Game 1. “So I think obviously that made us closer in the sense of we just wanted to figure it out. Not necessarily prove people wrong, but just prove that we can win and put ourselves in a position to do that.

“And it was tough, right. Certain times, we were three games under .500 and 11-seed, and I'm sure not many people thought we would have gotten to this point. But there was always a sense of belief between us and the group that we were capable of figuring it out.”

Jaylen Brown is averaging a career-playoff high 23 points this postseason while shooting just under 49 percent from the field. Jayson Tatum has seen his playoff scoring average dip from 30 down to 27 per game, but his efficiency has shot up.

Additionally, both players are playmaking at the highest levels they ever have, putting up career-highs in assists per game. It's a testament to their development and the Celtics system built around them that's allowed them to be successful.

“I think that we've been able to win in our career before,” Jaylen Brown said. “Last year, obviously things didn't work out, etc., for other reasons, but this year, I didn't feel like it was because of the way we played basketball. I just think they didn't come together at the right time.

“Early on in the season, I was injured. I missed about 15 games. You know, the narrative isn't going to say that. They are just going to say that you guys lost. Doesn't matter what the excuse is. We've got a first-year head coach. We were trying to figure it out. We play in a city that it has no patience for any excuses, so we didn't make any. But as things started to come together, we got healthier. We made a couple moves in the front office that were vital for us, and things started to fall in line. I think that's what, if you ask me, that's what I believe. But you ask somebody else, they might say something different.”

Nobody said it was going to be easy or painless.

The Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the five postseasons that Tatum and Brown have played together.

A loss to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 in 2018.

A gentleman's sweep by Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019.

A loss to Jimmy Butler and the Heat in the 2020 bubble.

Another gentleman's sweep, this time at the hands of Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets in 2021.

“It was tough,” Tatum added. “There were definitely some tough moments. I always remember the fun moments — my first year going to the Conference Finals; the bubble year going to the Conference Finals when we were winning all the time. Beginning of this year, every game was like, I don't know if we're going to win. It was a lot tougher than it should be, and that's something I wasn't used to.”

RECOMMENDED (Article Continues Below)
Heat fans accuse Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla of calling a Code Red against heat

Steve Silverman ·

NBA PLayoffs Panic Meter with Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, and Paolo Banchero

Brett Siegel ·

cG9zdDoyODE2NjIx-thumbnail

Matt Guzman ·

Now, 2022 just might be their year.

Boston convincingly swept through Durant and the Nets in the first round. They overcame a 3-2 deficit to beat the defending NBA Champion Milwaukee Bucks in the second round. As if that wasn't enough, the Celtics again overcame a 3-2 deficit, this time upending the Miami Heat to reach the NBA Finals.

The Celtics this postseason became just the fourth team in the last 40 years to reach the NBA Finals with their two leading scorers both being 25 years of age or younger.

“I'll be honest, for myself, there have been times where I questioned, ‘am I the right person to kind of lead a group like this?' Jayson Tatum admitted. “You know, never like doubted myself, but just moments after some of those losses and the tougher parts of the season.”

Doubt no more.

The Celtics' path, however, complicated, has placed them just four wins from their ultimate goal: an NBA Championship. Whether they close the deal out and win the title remains to be seen. A formidable foe in the Golden State Warriors awaits to try and win their fourth championship in the last eight seasons.

Regardless of how these NBA Finals play out, the Celtics know they can win with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as their star duo.