Jaylen Brown (left) and Jayson Tatum. David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

The Celtics kept their stars. It’s about to pay off

By Zach Wadley | Last updated Jun 13, 2024 3:11 PM ET

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are one game away from hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy, simultaneously silencing the skeptics who doubted they could reach the mountaintop together and validating Boston’s decision to keep them as a pair.

Sports has always been but is increasingly more of an instant validation business. Rebuilds are expected to happen faster than ever, star prospects should become MVPs within a year or two and patience wears thin at a rapid rate.

When the Celtics drafted Brown and Tatum third overall in 2016 and 2017, respectively, they had their superstar pairing. Winning has never been an issue. In their seven years together, Boston is 360-194 with five trips to the Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals appearances.

And yet, fans and the media are always trying to break them up. In 2021, Brown spoke at length about the desire to create a “Batman and Robin” narrative among the two. At times, it seemed everyone but the Celtics were saying the pair didn’t work together.

Are they friends? Do they like each other? The merry-go-round questioning of Brown and Tatum is unceasing. Even in this year’s finals there have been rumors the two were at odds with each other.

"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

Boston’s front office has had plenty of opportunities to break the duo up. As recently as this year’s trade deadline, despite the Celtics being the clear favorites to win it all, rumors surfaced about Brown. Each time, they’ve opted to keep the two stars together.

A win on Friday night will validate that repeated decision. In a world that’s very much what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, the Celtics were patient and stayed the course. It could end with the franchise’s 18th championship.

Had they traded either star, who knows the return they would have gotten? There’s no guarantee a banner would have come sooner.

In the end, this one will be all the more sweeter with the skeptics silenced.

Zach Wadley

Zach Wadley's sportswriting career began at the age of 12 when he started covering Little League games for his local newspaper. Since then, he's worked in the sports information field where he merged his love of writing, social media, and broadcasting. He is a graduate of Anderson University (IN).

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