​For nearly ten years, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown stood as one of the NBA’s most recognizable duos, a pairing that helped define a generation of Celtics basketball. They racked up countless Eastern Conference Finals appearances, reached the NBA Finals on two occasions, and ultimately delivered a championship to Boston. Yet amid the triumphs, a persistent question lingered: were they truly as close off the court as they appeared on it?
Now, Tatum is stepping forward to set the record straight. While promoting his new children’s book, Baby Dunks-a-Lot: The Day the Basketballs Stopped Bouncing, on Today with Jenna and Sheinelle, the six-time All-Star offered one of his most candid assessments yet about the years of speculation surrounding Brown. During the conversation, co-host Sheinelle Jones highlighted the rumors that seemed to pit the two stars against one another, challenging the narrative that their connection on the court didn’t mirror their relationship off it.
What is the truth? Tatum did not hesitate. “I think, for one, I have nothing, obviously, but love and respect,” he stated, emphasizing the foundation of their bond. He went on to discuss how public scrutiny shaped the conversation around the Celtics during the early days of their partnership, a period when every move and rumor seemed to be magnified.
“It’s tough when you’re a professional athlete and everything we do is publicized and nitpicked,” Tatum said, noting that they had played together for nine years. Looking back, he reflected on the high expectations placed on them long before they had reached their prime. “There was a period of our career where we hadn’t won a championship yet. But in retrospect, we were only 23 and 21 years old,” he recalled. “So, the expectations were so high. And so they just had to figure out a reason why we hadn’t won yet.”
In Tatum’s view, those pressures helped fuel a misperception that they were not aligned. “They tried to pin us against each other and say that one guy shouldn’t be here or whatnot,” he explained. “But the truth is, we had nine amazing years together. We went to the Finals twice. We won a championship. So, I will forever be grateful for, you know, those memories and the time that we spent together.”
For Celtics fans who watched Brown and Tatum evolve from promising young stars into NBA champions, the interview offered a rare, heartfelt glimpse into the dynamics of one of the league’s most discussed partnerships. The conversation underscored a simple truth: the narrative of distance or discord often fails to capture the true depth of a relationship built through years of shared goals, growth, and success.
In the broader scope of the interview, the topic of other teams and playoff loyalties flickered as lighter moments. When Jenna Bush Hager asked whether Tatum had been rooting for the New York Knicks during their playoff run, he answered with a quick and unequivocal “No,” drawing laughter from the hosts. The discussion then moved to the NBA Finals, where he was pressed about whether he had been rooting for the San Antonio Spurs, a line that suggested a desire for good press or perhaps a charitable nod to a favorable storyline. Yet the underlying message remained clear: Tatum’s loyalty and appreciation for the Celtics and the years spent with Brown far outweighed any superficial narratives.
As the conversation wrapped, the sentiment was unmistakable: the pairing that had once captivated fans and sparked endless debate earned its place in history not just for the hardware they accumulated but for the bond they shared and the resilience they demonstrated in the face of scrutiny. The record is clear in Tatum’s eyes—nine years together, two Finals appearances, and a championship in Boston—coupled with a mutual respect that endures beyond the public eye.