The Boston Celtics have received a major boost as of late, as Jayson Tatum has returned from a torn Achilles tendon he suffered in last year's playoffs to help the team with its playoff push. And yet, one of the major storylines surrounding Tatum's return has revolved around his relationship with Jaylen Brown.
In Tatum's absence, Brown has turned in an MVP-caliber season (28.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 5.1 APG, 48 FG%). With Tatum coming back, though, he's going to cut into Brown's production, leading some to wonder if that would cause problems between the two superstars. In an interview with Casino Guru, former C's guard Nik Stauskas provided NESN with some exclusive comments on the dynamic between Tatum and Brown.
“I think, especially having won a championship a few years ago with Tatum and Brown being the core of that team, I don't think there's any bad blood or animosity or jealousy between those two,” Stauskas said to NESN. “They've always been very well connected, but they realize that they need each and every one of themselves to contribute in order to get to that ultimate goal of winning an NBA championship.”
Stauskas, of course, played alongside Tatum and Brown during a brief stint with the team in 2022. During that time, he saw the two young stars grow on the fly as they found their way to the NBA Finals that year. The final evolution of their development came in 2024, when the C's superstar duo led them to victory in the Finals over the Dallas Mavericks.
A big part of Boston's championship culture revolves around winning, no matter the cost. If that results in Brown's production taking a hit, then so be it. There's no doubt it will take these two some time to get back on the same page, but as Stauskas notes, once they do, that could cause some serious problems for the rest of the NBA.
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