Kristaps Porzingis reveals Jaylen Brown is his plane buddy, just days after Jayson Tatum called Al Horford his
Kristaps Porzingis had a plane story to share as well. This comes days after his teammate Jayson Tatum called veteran Al Horford his "favorite teammate he's ever had" and would sit next to him on the plane. Now, the Celtics big revealed that Jaylen Brown is his plane buddy and they engage in a lot of conversation. Safe to say, their friendships off the floor have played a part in the new-look Boston unit developing brilliant chemistry on it this season.
According to Celtics beat writer Souichi Terada, Porzingis' words added to the trickling plane content over the last few days:
"Kristaps Porzingis says he sits next to Jaylen Brown on the plane, so they talk a lot. Getting a lot of plane content this last week. Jayson Tatum talked about sitting next to Al Horford as plane buddies."
Porzingis was one of the big trades Boston made this offseason. The Washington Wizards big was involved in a three-team trade which included the Memphis Grizzlies. The move saw him head to Boston along with the No. 25 pick, and the 2024 first-round pick (via Warriors). The Grizzlies received Marcus Smart, and the Wizards received the No. 35 pick in the 2024 NBA draft, Tyus Jones, Danilo Gallinari and Mike Muscala.
Since his arrival in Boston, Kristaps Porzingis has averaged 19.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks. His contributions have played their part in the team's assertive 12-3 run in the East.
Kristaps Porzingis calling Jaylen Brown his plane buddy shows the chemistry the Celtics players share
One of the challenges for teams that make significant moves during the trade deadline and the offseason is building chemistry and cohesion between players on and off the court. That doesn't seem to be an issue in this case as the likes of Kristaps Porzingis and Jayson Tatum have been vocal about sharing their chatter on the plane. The same tweet above also saw the power forward say that it was Brown who makes the game easy on him when they play.
As for Tatum, he had explained how the presence of a seasoned veteran in Horford helps in understanding the game better:
“It’s based off respect, the respect I have for him and likewise. And we just know we need each other. Even when I was 19 and I am now, he still asks me questions, asks me how I’m feeling, how’s my body. That’s who I sit next to on the plane. So Al’s like my favorite teammate I’ve had.”
Mutual respect and fun seem to be the mantra of the Celtics players this season. In a way, it's reminiscent of the '98 Chicago Bulls who had Michael Jordan and the rest of the Windy City stars bonding over plane poker games. The end result is that the Celtics are winning, and Porzingis will feel more at home after his conversations with Brown in the days to come.