Celtics’ Jayson Tatum on Jaylen Brown: ‘We’re 2 of the Hungriest Players’ in NBA

zach bacharContributor IMarch 5, 2024

Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are confident in themselves.

The Boston Celtics’ duo has been one of the driving forces behind the team’s incredible 48-12 record, the best mark in the NBA. Tatum believes that their shared desire to improve sets them apart from other star pairings in the association.

“Going into this season, we try and take the same approach: I’m getting better and he’s getting better,” Tatum said, via The Players’ Tribune. “It’s not like we’re staying the same. We’re two of the hungriest players in the league.”

The Players’ Tribune @PlayersTribune.@jaytatum0 on playing with @FCHWPO:”It’s been great. Two guys that got drafted back to back to the same team. Every day, every game, I know where I’m trying to get to and he knows where he’s trying to get to, and we try to figure it out together. In a way, we’re pushing each… pic.twitter.com/G91XxfPnyu

The two All-Stars have been teammates since 2017, as they were selected with the No. 3 overall pick in back-to-back drafts. They’ve developed alongside one another, making the playoffs in each season that they’ve been in the league.

Tatum and Brown haven’t been able to capture a title, although they brought the Celtics to Game 6 of the 2022 NBA Finals before ultimately falling to the Golden State Warriors. With players such as Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis thriving in complementary roles during the 2023-24 season, it’s not hard to imagine another deep postseason run for the Celtics.

Brown and Tatum have both continued to increase their efficiency in their seventh year as teammates. They’re shooting 50.2 percent and 47.8 percent from the field, respectively. Both of those percentages represent the highest marks of their careers.

“Everything we do, we compete in a good way — I’m pushing him, we play one-on-one after practice,” Tatum said. “I think the next step for us is feeding off each other more in a game.”

The pair have continued to dominate opponents, leading the Celtics to their third 50-point win of the season during a 140-88 rout of the Warriors on Sunday.