Following the Boston Celtics' 107-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals, there's been no shortage of wide-ranging comments from players and coaches. As Game 2 looms, one comment from Mavericks coach Jason Kidd grabbed plenty of interest and became a broader conversation.
As The Washington Post's Ben Golliver detailed, Kidd stated that Jaylen Brown is the Celtics' best player. While numerous players were asked about it, one notable name to be questioned about the comments was fellow star Jayson Tatum.
Tatum addressed the topic head-on, stating that many people will "try to drive a wedge" between the team and essentially said it won't work.
“No reaction. This is a team sport... We understand people try to drive a wedge between us. I guess it’s a smart thing to try to do... This is not our first time at the rodeo," Tatum said.
Brown echoed a similar sentiment, calling it a "team game" and telling the media that he had no reaction.
While Brown, 27, and Tatum, 26, are the unquestionable co-stars for the Celtics, many conversations have circulated about the latter as one of the NBA's top players. But while Tatum has more accolades, with five All-Star appearances and three All-NBA First Team nods, Brown has also been stellar throughout his career. The former Pac-12 Freshman of the Year has made three All-Star appearances and been named All-NBA Second Team once.
This was the primary reason why Kidd's comments went viral so quickly. Both Tatum and Brown had strong performances in the Game 1 win. Brown finished with 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting, six rebounds, three steals and two assists, while Tatum had 16 points with 11 rebounds and five assists.
Tatum has surely had the more decorated NBA career thus far, but Brown has earned a tip of the cap for his play, and there's a fair argument to be made that he's slightly underrated and even underappreciated currently. Regardless, both players will be integral to the Celtics knocking off the Mavericks and bringing a title back to Boston for the first time since 2007-08.
