Jaylen Brown Says It Inspires Him to See Jayson Tatum Succeed amid Celtics Rumors
January 13, 2022
Amid rumors that the Boston Celtics are open for business before the trade deadline, the dynamic between their two best players has been a talking point as the team has gotten off to a slow start this season.
Speaking to reporters after Wednesday's 119-100 win over the Indiana Pacers, Jaylen Brown spoke about playing alongside Jayson Tatum.
"I want Jayson to reach his potential and get everything out of this game that he wants to get out of it," Brown said. "To see him going is great. It inspires me. We just gotta keep getting better, keep improving, keep playing off each other, and making the best of what we have."
Both players have previously acknowledged they don't share a lot of similarities off the court, but they remain focused on playing together to help the Celtics win.
Al Horford told Bobby Manning of Celtics Blog in October that it's not necessary for teammates to hang out away from the court to play well.
“You’ve got to have that respect from the beginning,” Horford said. “You don’t have to be best of friends, but they do acknowledge each other. They do respect each other and you can see it—that kinds of sets a tone. We’re here to support them.”
While Brown and Tatum are having good statistical seasons individually, the results haven't shown up in the win column for the Celtics. They are combining to average 50.2 points, 15.0 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game.
Tatum's efficiency has fallen off this season. He's shooting 42 percent overall and 33 percent from three-point range, both of which are the lowest rates of his five-year career.
Per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Celtics are telling opposing teams in trade talks "they want to build around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown—and have no interest to split up the two All-Star forwards right now."
The Celtics are currently the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference standings with a 21-21 record. They have won three straight games for just the second time this season.
Tatum is in the first season of his five-year, $163 million contract extension. Brown has two more years left on his four-year, $106.3 million deal signed in October 2019.