Recently, Celtics core player Jayson Tatum was interviewed by Chris Mannix, a reporter from the famous sports media Sports Illustrated, during the preparation for the Olympic Games in France, and they talked a lot about Celtic, and the first thing they were asked was what the biggest challenge they faced last season! Tatum expressed nostalgia for Smart, the two former teammates, saying that the two of them did not go through these things with the team and was the hardest thing last season. However, Tatum also said that he was lucky to have Holiday and Porzingis on the team, who took the team to the next level, and there is no doubt that our championship belongs to all Celtics!
Growth or duplicity?
Reporter Chris Mannix also asked a very sensitive question, which was to ask him what he thought about Jaylen Brown being caught in trade rumors last year and even before when the team struggled! During the All-Star break last February, before the NBA trade deadline, Jaylen Brown was caught up in trade rumors about Durant, and was considered by the media to be the best return the Nets could get in a trade. It needs to be understood that in the '22 Finals, Brown averaged 38.8 minutes per game, 23.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists, shooting 42.8% from the field, and was the Celtics' leading scorer. On the other hand, Tatum, who is regarded as the boss of the team, played an average of 40.7 minutes per game, only scored 21.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 7 assists, and the shooting rate was only 36.7%! Neither efficiency nor production is comparable to Brown, and the team has been reversed by the Warriors! It's the same Tanhua, but the worse performance has always been regarded as a non-sale, and this situation is not comfortable for anyone to happen!
And now the reporter confronted Tatum himself with this sensitive topic, saying: "They have all had some inevitable mistakes over the years, but they never thought the team would trade him!" Tatum also said: "He should have made this statement earlier and more directly in front of the media, I never asked the team to trade any players, nor did I ask to send any teammates away, the only thing I want to do here is play well!" At the end, Tatum made it clear that the Celtics don't want anyone, they just want Jaylen Brown!
Now Tatum has answered this question head-on, judging from the Celtics' championship history this year! Tatum's statement will not be duplicity, to be fair to say, he is the one who made the biggest sacrifice in the playoffs for the Celtics this year! After Boshen was injured, he decisively pushed to the frontcourt position, fought hand-to-hand with the opponent on the field, and gave up his comfortable position! When teammates feel good, decisively give up the right to shoot and do the dirty work of defense! This is also the main reason why Celtic are stronger than before this year, and if the star of the team can take the lead in making sacrifices, this team will inevitably play better and better. Previously, many people liked to say that the two detectives were not at odds once the Celtics were not playing well, and even said a very ridiculous tactic, shouting MVP when Jaylen Brown made free throws, if the relationship between Tatum and Brown was so fragile, then it was impossible for them to work together for 8 years! The vast majority of players in this league need to be 27 or 28 years old to reach the height of the division finals, and the two of them did it in their first season together, when Tatum was 19 and Brown was 20!
In the 8 years since the two of them entered the league, the Celtics have been regular visitors to the Eastern Conference finals, reaching the Finals three times and winning the championship once! Even if the two of them retire on the spot, they will still be higher than 90% of NBA players in terms of these achievements! The Shuangjie has really grown, don't joke about Tatum anymore, with the Celtics' core roster contract extension all finalized, their time has come!