Jaylen Brown knew the question was coming … just maybe not so soon.
“Damn, question number one!?” Brown laughed. “We going to warm up a little?”
It was the question that dominated Celtics discourse all summer: How will Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown respond to their respective Olympic snubs? They knew it was inevitable.
Yet, even after the laughter faded, Brown maintained his smile as he addressed what some might consider a touchy subject for Boston’s superstar.
“I’m ready to go. I’m excited about being back,” Brown said. “The past is the past, but I’m ready to get after it. You know, lead our guys, get the guys, build some team chemistry, not skip any steps, and just set the tone for another year. I’m extremely motivated for obvious reasons.”
The Eastern Conference and NBA Finals MVP appeared noticeably upbeat on Tuesday, perhaps still basking in the relief of shedding the weight of expectations.
“I had to experience a lot of adversity through life, through this organization, through my journey, a lot of people, a lot of doubts. A lot of ins and outs to get to where I’m at, and I’m grateful. I wouldn’t exchange it for anything,” Brown said. “Even in those moments of doubt or those moments where I heard boos or people wanted me gone or didn’t think I deserved what I got, that kind of ultimately made me who I was.”
His counterpart, Jayson Tatum, was also asked about his Olympic snub. He joked that his head coach, Joe Mazzulla, was “probably the happiest person in the world” about Tatum’s setbacks during a largely successful summer.
“Joe was probably the happiest person in the world that I didn’t win Finals MVP, and I didn’t play in two games of the Olympics,” Tatum said. “So, that was odd, but if you know Joe, it makes sense.”
Despite leaving Paris in elite company—joining Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only players to achieve All-NBA First Team honors, win an NBA championship, and secure an Olympic gold medal in the same year—Tatum carried a chip on his shoulder even bigger than the gold medal around his neck, made from an 18-gram hexagonal chunk of iron taken from the Eiffel Tower.
“In real-time, [not playing in the Olympics] was tough,” Tatum said. “Did I need any extra motivation coming into the season? No, I’m not going to give anybody in particular credit that they’re motivating me to come into the season. It was a unique circumstance, something I haven’t experienced before in my playing career. But I’m a believer that everything happens for a reason. I was coming off a championship, highest of highs, cover of 2K, a new contract, and that happened. Whatever the reason is, I haven’t figured it out yet. But I am a believer that everything happens for a reason. But it was a good experience. We won a gold medal, I won my second one, I was around some of the best players to play the game on a daily basis, build some friendships and was able to bring my family out there and enjoy the Olympics as a whole. So that was a plus for me, for sure.”
As Tatum reconnected with his teammates, flexing their hardware from last season for jumbotron videos and social media GIFs, the realization likely began to set in: they have the chance to chase another championship—and this time, truly silence the doubters, as he and Brown look to guide Boston to becoming the first repeat champion since the Golden State Warriors over a half a decade ago.
“It was never just about trying to just win one. Now you get to be mentioned – at least be in the same room with the other Celtics great teams and great players. All the guys I looked up to growing up won at least one championship. Now it’s just a conversation of, ‘How great are you trying to be? What room or what tier are you trying to be mentioned in when it’s all said and done?’ And understanding the window you have to maximize that time.”
Making the most of this opportunity begins with Tatum and Brown, both of whom have something to prove this season. The team goes as they go, and it’s up to them to set the tone and silence the critics once again.
Related
