"My partner in crime" - Jaylen Brown honors Jayson Tatum after winning NBA Finals MVP trophy
Jaylen Brown was named NBA Finals MVP after the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks to win their 18th championship. Brown has been the Celtics' best player in the NBA Finals and was a well-deserved honor. He also gave a shoutout to Jayson Tatum, who was the team's best player in the title-clinching Game 5.
In his postgame interview with ESPN's Lisa Salters, Brown credited his teammates for how they played the entire season. He doesn't want the full personal accolade because it was a team effort. He also wanted to share the trophy with Tatum, his teammate since 2017.
"It was a full team effort and I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime Jayson Tatum. He was with me the whole way so we share this sh*t together," Brown said.
He added:
"My faith in the Most High, just believing in my teammates, my coaching staff and just being grateful. I've been grateful for every moment, every opportunity. I never hung my head. I don't care. I don't give a f*ck what nobody got to say and we come out and we play basketball."
Jaylen Brown was the first one to arrive in Boston when he was drafted third overall by the Celtics in 2016. Jayson Tatum arrived the next year when the team traded down to get him at No. 3. The two have been very successful together, making the playoffs every year since they've been teammates.
The duo have been to six Eastern Conference finals and two NBA Finals. And now, they have a championship together. If the Celtics can lock Tatum up with a new contract, they have a chance of winning more titles in the next few years.
Jaylen Brown's NBA Finals stats
Jaylen Brown won the 2024 NBA Finals MVP due to his brilliant play on offense and defense. Brown averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals in five games while shooting 44.0% from the field. His defense on Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving changed the outcome of the series.
Some fans might look at Jayson Tatum and think that he deserves the NBA Finals MVP award. Tatum put up 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.2 assists and 1.0 blocks per game, but struggled with his shot. He was only hitting 38.8% of his shots.
There could have been an argument for Jrue Holiday to take home the NBA Finals MVP because of his impact on the defensive end. Holiday made life miserable for Irving, and for Doncic at times. His championship experience was also vital in closing out the series in Game 5.