The Boston Celtics captured their franchise’s 18th championship earlier than sending a trio of representatives to hitch USA Basketball within the 2024 Paris Olympics, which generated controversy for teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
First, Brown obtained snubbed from Group USA after Kawhi Leonard withdrew as a consequence of damage. Grant Hill, Steve Kerr and the remainder of USA Basketball’s teaching employees prolonged an (accepted) invitation as an alternative to Celtics guard Derrick White, however that was just the start. Tatum, who Group USA welcomed with open arms, registered two DNPs as head coach Kerr refused to make the most of the five-time All-Star twice, chalking up the benching to a “math drawback.” Watching from afar, Brown issued a brief, however encouraging response to Tatum’s Olympic fiasco.
“I haven’t got any feedback proper now,” Brown stated, per NBC Sports activities Bay Space. “… Jayson shall be tremendous. Jayson Tatum shall be tremendous, we shall be tremendous.”
This does not mark the primary occasion wherein Tatum and Brown are coming into a season whereas tasked with navigating outdoors noise. If something, 2024-25 shall be just like 2023-24 besides the Oct. 22 season opener will see the Tatum-Brown duo watch their first title banner raised within the TD Backyard rafters. Whether or not it is because of the circumstances of groups lacking a completely wholesome roster within the postseason — which the Celtics, too, have been victims of — or chalking Banner 18 up as a fluke Larry O’Brien snag, Tatum and Brown will endure one more unending battle with the surface narratives.
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Weirdly sufficient, it ought to strengthen the Tatum-Brown bond. Each homegrown Celtics stars have endured the highs and lows collectively, perceive what it takes to achieve the mountaintop and have already got confirmed themselves able to overcoming the naysayers. As soon as the 2024-25 season begins, it is all inside Tatum and Brown’s management because the leaders of the crew. They’ve already completed it as soon as. Doing it twice, and back-to-back, would make it considerably tougher for the doubters — and Group USA — to proceed questioning the longer term Corridor of Fame duo any additional.
