BOSTON, MA — Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are no strangers to criticism. Although the former is leading his team in points, rebounds, and assists this postseason and the latter was the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals MVP, the discourse surrounding the dynamic duo is rarely that complimentary.
Brown, who's now a three-time All-Star and the longest-tenured player on the C's, has learned to block out all the noise.
“You get scrutinized enough for a large part of your career, it becomes normal,” he said during a Wednesday afternoon press conference. “Then it just rolls off you … It's kind of been that my whole career in a sense. Just being booed when you were drafted to saying you were overpaid, saying you were overpaid again. It's been that the whole journey for me. It just becomes another headline.”
The 27-year-old is preparing for his second NBA Finals appearance on Thursday, as the Celtics are set to play the Dallas Mavericks in the championship round. He's been a vocal leader for Boston this playoffs and has maintained an impressive intensity on both ends of the floor throughout the playoffs.
Tatum, his partner in crime, has also learned to ignore the constant chatter from the media and other outlets.
“It's my mom, my grandma, my family and friends. They're more bothered by it than me,” he admitted when asked about the scrutiny he faces. “Just a long break without NBA basketball, so [the media] had to overanalyze every little thing, have something to talk about. Did it get old? Yeah. But, you know, it's the Finals. They wouldn't talk about me if I wasn't good, so … Try to take some positives out of it and change the channel.”
The best way for the Celtics to silence the noise is simple: hang Banner No. 18 in the rafters. Tatum and Brown have been to four Eastern Conference Finals in the last five years and have become accustomed to lengthy playoff runs. However, neither star has been able to earn themselves a ring thus far, but doing so this June would likely hush a lot of doubters.
It won't be easy, though. Mavericks star Luka Doncic is eager for his first title as well, and ex-Celtic Kyrie Irving knows what it takes to win on the biggest stage.
“That's a great player over there, so it's going to be a full-team effort,” Brown remarked when asked how the Celtics can slow down Irving. “Him and Luka. Making sure we're alert, making sure we're back in transition, and do the best we can.”
Why Jrue Holiday is so impressed by Tatum and Brown
Celtics guard Jrue Holiday definitely qualifies as an NBA veteran. He's in his thirties and has been in the league since 2009.
As a result, he's seen plenty, yet even he's been shocked by the disrespect Tatum and Brown face.
“The pressure that J.B. and J.T. have to take on is something different,” he told the media on Wednesday. “I've told them this before, but it's really impressive how they handle themselves, how they stay professional, how they still come out every game and do what they do. Yeah, I think it's extremely impressive how they do that.”
Holiday acknowledged that he's witnessed other players, such as Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, get dissected unfairly by the media. But, in his opinion, that still doesn't compare to what Tatum and Brown deal with.
“I would say that I probably don't take a bulk of the pressure because we have Jayson and Jaylen on our team,” Holiday said.
Media condemnation aside, the Celtics are more concerned with taking down the Mavs. Despite this year being his first time playing for Boston, Holiday shares the hunger for a championship that Tatum, Brown, and the rest of the C's have displayed this season.
“I think this team really wants to win,” the 2021 NBA champion said. “I know they've been to the Eastern Conference Finals a million times. They've been to the Finals. They've been to the top, just didn't execute the way they wanted to. Now that we're here, we want to get the job done.”
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