Celtics HC blasts media for Tatum, Brown coverage

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla. David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla blasts media for Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown coverage

By Victor Barbosa | Last updated May 31, 2024 2:14 PM ET

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla let loose on Friday, giving a passionate defense of the team's superstar duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

The Eastern Conference champion, the top-seeded Celtics, will take on the Western Conference champion, the fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks, in the NBA Finals beginning on Thursday.

Brown and Tatum have spent their entire careers with Boston and have been teammates since the latter was selected as the third overall pick during the 2017 NBA Draft. The pair have combined for eight All-Star nods and five All-NBA honors while leading the Celtics to seven consecutive playoff berths, including five Eastern Conference Finals appearances (three straight) and a pair of NBA Finals runs.

Still, the franchise hasn't won a championship since the first season of the Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce/Ray Allen Big Three era in 2008.

"The whole thing about that really pisses me off & I think it's unfair to both of them"

Joe Mazzulla has a strong response to the narrative about Jaylen Brown & Jayson Tatum's relationship pic.twitter.com/bEunyIDR2m
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 31, 2024

Joe Mazzulla said it’s really unfair that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown get compared to each other. He said they love each other and other duos around the league don’t have to go through that.

“Theyre two of the greatest players and teammates … It’s bullshit. I love both of…
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 31, 2024

National and Boston-area talking heads alike have been critical of the "Jays" for being unable to lead the team over the hump and have more recently been focused on comparing the two former No. 3 picks.

Tatum won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP when the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in the 2022 playoffs. However, in six games, the group fell to the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals after holding a 2-1 series lead. Brown won the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals MVP in a tightly contested vote over Tatum.

The 27-year-old University of California product garnered the hardware after finishing second on the team in points (29.8) and minutes per contest (40.9) across the four-game sweep of the Indiana Pacers while ranking fourth in both rebounds (5.0) and assists (3.0) per tilt. Tatum led the squad in points (30.3), minutes (43.9) and rebounds (10.3) per game and finished second in assists (6.3).

Victor Barbosa

Victor Barbosa is a passionate follower of MLB, the NBA and NFL, with a deep interest in Boston-area teams. He graduated from Springfield College -- The Birthplace of Basketball -- in 2013 with a degree in Communications-Sports Journalism. Previous bylines include FanSided, Heavy and Syracuse

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