“I think it’s stupid" - Celtics coach slams media for spreading 'clickbait' rumors about Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown
The Boston Celtics, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, have continued to impress this year. After finishing the regular season with the best record in the NBA, they knocked out the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Indiana Pacers this postseason. Now, with a chance to finally capture an NBA title with the Brown-Tatum duo, the stakes couldn't be higher.
Given that, there have been rumors of tension in the Celtics locker room between Brown and Tatum. For example, When Jaylen Brown won the ECF MVP, some pointed to the fact that Jayson Tatum wasn't standing directly alongside Brown as he celebrated as evidence of this supposed tension.
The way coach Joe Mazzulla sees things, not only are the rumors false, but his players deserve better. While speaking to media members on Friday, he pushed back on claims that there was any sort of beef between the pair.
"The whole thing about that really pisses me off. And I think it's unfair to both of them. And I think it's stupid that people have to use those two guys names and use information that they don't know to create clickbait so that they can stay relevant. And it's very unfair that those two get compared. ...
"They're great teammates. They love each other, and they go about winning and they go about their process in a different way. So why they have to always be lumped together, I think is unfair."
"That's a special accomplishment" - Jayson Tatum praises Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown after winning Larry Bird Trophy
After a hard-fought series against the Pacers, that saw the Celtics repeatedly mount late-game combacks, Jaylen Brown was awarded the Larry Bird trophy. His impressive play throughout the series came at times when the Celtics needed it most.
In Game 2 of the Boston-Indiana series for example, Tatum was struggling to find his shot, going just 1-7 from downtown. Brown rose to the occasion in a big way, scoring 40 points in 37 minutes to help give the team a big lift.
Similarly, in Game 4 with the Celtics looking to sweep the ECF series, Brown rose to the occasion again with 29 points on 11-22 from the field while Tatum went 3-11 from downtown.
After missing out on All-NBA honors and All-NBA Defensive Team honors during the regular season, Brown was surprised by the win. Tatum, meanwhile, had nothing but praise for his teammate, further highlighting the fact that the pair don't seem to have any beef.
He explained to media members following the closeout win over Indiana:
"That was special. Big time to be rewarded for how you play. That’s a special accomplishment for him and for everybody."
After seven seasons together, the duo of Brown and Tatum will have the chance to finally raise a banner next week when the NBA Finals tip off.