Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have formed one of the best duos in basketball, and an NBA championship in 2024 only further cemented that. Despite their shared success, a media narrative intent on comparing and dividing them still exists.
Movie star and former New England resident Adam Sandler doesn't subscribe to that divisive discourse. He believes that all the outside noise claiming that there's some rift between Tatum and Brown isn't reality, per The Bill Simmons Podcast.
“Don't try and divide them,” he told director and New York Knicks fan Josh Safdie. “They love each other.”
During the 2024 NBA Finals, Brown took home Finals MVP while Tatum led the team in points, assists, and rebounds throughout the playoffs. Their on-court partnership, complemented by talented starters like Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, led to utter domination in April, May, and June. The Celtics went 16-3 in the 2024 postseason and defeated the Dallas Mavericks with relative ease in the Finals, prevailing in five games.
Although Brown was the one who hoisted the Bill Russell Finals MVP Trophy, Sandler believes Tatum played a critical role in his strong series.
“The reason [Brown] was scoring a lot was because everyone was scared of Tatum,” Sandler said.
Tatum faced tons of double teams in the playoffs, as opponents thought crashing on him and generating turnovers would be the best way to slow down Boston's potent offense. That strategy didn't pan out because more often than not, Tatum made the right play to break down the heavy defensive pressure.
He averaged a series-high 7.2 assists per game and recorded 54 potential assists, which was six more than Mavericks star playmaker Luka Doncic. One of his favorite outlets was Brown, who shot a solid 44% from the field while averaging over 20 points per outing.
When Tatum's shot wasn't there, Brown was able to pick up the slack. And the five-time All-Star was more than happy to see his partner in crime receive Finals MVP honors following a championship-clinching win at TD Garden.
“When I'm playing pickup basketball, and I win because my teammate is incredible. Every time, I'm excited. I drive home just as excited,” Sandler explained. “Tatum felt the same. He loved to see his buddy scoring.”
The NBA enjoys celebrating one player for their accomplishments, putting them on a pedestal for their individual accolades. However, that's not how the 2023-24 Celtics operated. It was an all-around effort that made them nearly unstoppable, and that all stemmed from Tatum and Brown sharing the spotlight and letting one another take the lead as needed.
Adam Sandler and Josh Safdie have been huge fans of Jayson Tatum from the beginning
Sandler's passion for basketball is no secret. The award-winning comedian is frequently spotted on courts across the country playing pickup basketball with random strangers. He's even been a part of multiple movies that prominently feature basketball, including Uncut Gems and Hustle.
Along with being a fan of hoops, Sandler is a big fan of Tatum.
“One of the coolest, greatest dudes, and hardest-working,” he praised. “I remember meeting Tatum … He was a rookie. And he was very nice and I remember just going, ‘Now this is just a stud.'”
The respect seems to be mutual as well. When Uncut Gems, which stars Sandler and was directed by Safdie and his brother Benny, was approaching its release, Tatum attended a private screening for the 2019 film. This showing was meant just for the Celtics and was hosted by Celtics legend Kevin Garnett, who plays himself in the A24 flick.
“When we showed Gems to the Celtics in Boston, KG organized the screening. [Tatum] was one of the few players who showed up,” Safdie recalled.
Since the critically-acclaimed film hit theaters, Tatum has won two gold medals and an NBA championship while making five All-Star teams and receiving three All-NBA First Team nods.
He'll look to add to his resume during the 2024-25 season with a deep Celtics squad that's nearly identical to the team that won it all in June.
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