It is very apt that two of the Larry Bird trophy winners so far have been Boston Celtics. Two years ago, Jayson Tatum took home the honor after a rough NBA Playoffs series against the Miami Heat. Now, it was Jaylen Brown who took center stage in their sweep of the Indiana Pacers. It was a two-man race between the teammates but the older Jay took it eventually. This nod turned the heads of legends like Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James.
In the past few NBA Playoffs runs, the Celtics were often considered to be Jayson Tatum's team. He got the All-NBA nods and All-Star accolades since coming in after the 2017 NBA Draft. But, Jaylen Brown has been with this squad since Jeff Green, Marcus Morris, and Isaiah Thomas were still playing. This pedigree in the postseason netted him a lot of experience such that he no longer collapses under the limelight.
LeBron James was impressed after the older member of the iconic Celtics duo was the one who hoisted the Larry Bird Eastern Conference Finals Most Valuable Player trophy.
“@FCHWPO (Jaylen Brown's X username) !!! Keep going Young 👑(King)! RESPECT!,” the Lakers legend wrote.
While there might be a historic rivalry between the Celtics and Lakers, greatness transcends differences. The King surely knows where to give credit. After all, Brown did pour his heart out against the Pacers to send their fans home early to beat the traffic near Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
He finished the game by going 50% from the field, from three, and even from the charity stripe. All of that netted him a game-high 29 points. His all-around efforts also got the Celtics six rebounds along with two assists, three big momentum-shifting steals, and a block to seal the series win. This performance in Game 4 surely solidified him as the man to beat for the trophy.
Two Celtics gunning for the ECF Finals MVP
Their depth and star talent are some things that the Celtics can boast. They are a team that had eight scorers knock down 100+ three-pointers each. So, when it came down to voting who was taking home the hardware, the choice was very tough.
The race between the two Jays, in fact, was so tight that it was decided by one vote. Considering the stat line that Tatum had so far, there would not be any complaints had he taken home the hardware twice in three years. He averaged 30.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, and a whopping 6.3 assists to keep the Celtics offense infectious.
Meanwhile, Brown was no slouch at all. He still notched 29.8 points, five rebounds, and three assists. The determiner could be the clutch factor that he brought in throughout the four games against the Pacers. Moreover, his defensive work had him notch two steals and 0.7 blocks. This all-around factor mixed with hitting the right shots at the proper time to snag momentum away from their NBA Playoffs rivals was all considered.
Tatum already knows that Brown is a great player and there's not at all any competition between them. This will surely make for an astounding duo for more years to come given their extensions.
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