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On Monday, Boston Celtics superstars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown achieved their first NBA title. Afterward, some speculated about the possibility of Tatum being envious of his co-star's NBA finals MVP win. However, he put the rumors to rest with a brief but heartfelt Instagram comment commending Brown on his accomplishment.
After seven seasons, five Eastern Conference finals appearances and two finals trips together, Tatum and Brown finally got over the hump. The duo led Boston to a 4-1 finals victory over the Dallas Mavericks, marking the franchise's historic 18th championship. The win capped off a dominant year in which the Celtics went 80-21 in the regular season and playoffs.
For most of their tenure as teammates, Tatum has been widely considered Boston's top player, with Brown lurking closely behind.
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However, following their first title, Brown received finals MVP honors despite trailing Tatum in most statistical categories. Over five finals outings, he averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game on 44.0% shooting.
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Tatum doesn't appear to have any issues with the voters' decision, though. On Tuesday, Brown shared a carousel of pictures featuring his Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP award on Instagram.
"I’m just here for the vibes," Brown captioned the photo.
In the post's comments section, Tatum applauded his teammate for his achievement, quieting questions about his potential disappointment.
"MVP!!!," Tatum said.
Jayson Tatum makes history by missing out on NBA Finals MVP
While Jayson Tatum didn't win his first finals MVP, he made history by missing out on the award.
Tatum became the first player in finals history to lead the winning team in scoring, rebounding, and assists and not win finals MVP. He finished with team highs of 111 points, 39 rebounds and 36 assists over five contests. However, his below-average shooting efficiency (38.8%) likely factored into his snub.
Nevertheless, during Monday's postgame interview, Tatum highlighted his relief in being able to finally prove his naysayers wrong.
“It's a surreal feeling. Still has not really kicked in yet,” Tatum said. “Just trying, I guess, to enjoy the moment. I kept saying, 'Wow.' These last seven years have been a roller coaster, up and down. I had to listen to all the s**t that people said about me, and tonight, it was worth it.”
Meanwhile, Brown noted how he and Tatum proved to their skeptics they could succeed together at the highest level.
“We've been through a lot, the losses, the expectations,” Brown said. “The media have said all different types of things. 'We can't play together, we are never going to win.' We heard it all. But we just blocked it out, and we just kept going. I trusted him. He trusted me. And we did it together.”
So, despite the outside noise, the superstar duo's bond appears to be as tight as ever.
