"We're gonna look at two kids that we look up 10 years from now having won multiple championships - Keyshawn Johnson believes Boston Celtics duo will be compared to Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant
The Boston Celtics are just two wins away from winning their 18th NBA championship. Boston's young duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are at the helm of their success. ESPN's Keyshawn Johnson believes Tatum and Brown will end up being compared to the legendary duo of Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
On a recent episode of "Keyshawn, JWill and Max," the trio of hosts discussed the success of Tatum and Brown. Johnson pointed out that the Celtics duo are very young and could win multiple titles. He added that Tatum and Brown's eventual success may even get them compared to two LA Lakers legends.
"Prior to people wanting to break them up, they've been to three Eastern Conference finals together," Johnson said. "Now, they're in the NBA Finals. If they continue to (be) on this trajectory, they're gonna be something special down the line."
We're gonna look at two kids that we look up 10 years from now having won multiple championships. And being able to have that conversation about who is the best in the world. Is it him or is it him? Sort of kinda like the Shaq-Kobe conversation that was going on for a long time."
The duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are having a great Finals series against the Golden State Warriors. Tatum is averaging 22.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.0 steals, but is shooting just 33.9% from the field. Meanwhile, Brown is putting up 22.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists on 42.9% shooting.
Getting compared to Shaq and Kobe is a lot of pressure since those two legendary players won three straight championships together. Shaq and Kobe dominated the early part of the 2000s as members of the Lakers. It's also fitting that Tatum and Brown play for the Celtics.
Celtics looking to take a commanding 3-1 series lead over Warriors
The Celtics are looking to take a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Warriors in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Game 4 is scheduled for Friday night in Boston in front of their hostile, loud and energetic fans. Boston won their first Finals game at home since 2010 last Wednesday, 116-100.
Jaylen Brown led the team in scoring with 27 points, adding nine rebounds and five assists. Jayson Tatum had 26 points, six rebounds and nine assists, while Marcus Smart added 24 points, seven boards and five assists. The Celtics were up huge in the first half, but the Warriors came back in the third quarter.
However, Boston stayed composed and took over the fourth quarter. Golden State ran out of gas as the team from Beantown dominated the final frame. If the Celtics can take a 3-1 lead, they have a high chance of winning the series. In the history of the Finals, only one team has come back and won the title after being down 3-1.