Celtics duo Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown just equalled Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s ridiculous Lakers record from 22 years ago
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have silenced the doubters by delivering Boston its first NBA championship since 2008.
The superstar duo, who many claimed couldn't play together and needed to be broken up, were simply too much for the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 championship series.
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Tatum had 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in a closeout Game 5 while Finals MVP Brown put up 21 points.
Their elite production in the 2024 postseason has seen the dynamic pair replicate a feat not seen since Lakers all-timers Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.
Tatum and Brown are the first pair of teammates to each score 450+ points in three straight postseasons since Kobe and Shaq in 2000-2002.
The Celtics' stars' ridiculous scoring output started in 2022 when Boston reached the NBA Finals and lost in six games to the Golden State Warriors.
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Their offensive efficiency continued last season when they lost to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals and carried on throughout this championship-winning postseason.
Tatum averaged 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game throughout the Mavs series while Brown put up 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and five assists per game as Boston secured its record-breaking 18th NBA title.
Five-time All-Star Tatum grew up idolizing the late, great Bryant and even managed to break one of the Hall of Famer's playoff records in Game 5.
Tatum's 16 first-half points gave him 2,696 career points in the playoffs - the most of any player aged 26 or younger. He finished the game and this year's post-season with 2,711 career playoff points.
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Bryant was the previous record holder with 2,694 in 119 games for the Lakers.
Tatum, who has had his fair share of naysayers over the course of his career, is in rarefied air in regards to most postseason points before his 27th birthday.
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LeBron James, who many deem to be the greatest of all time, is only third on the list with 2,578 playoff points before turning 27.
Tatum and Brown have faced intense scrutiny over the years and in particular during this postseason.
Many have tried to pit the two against each other, including Mavs head coach Jason Kidd who stoked the flames of division last week by labelling Brown the Celtics' best player.
Tatum and Brown have been resolute in their unity, though, with the latter paying homage to his teammate after receiving the Bill Russell Trophy as Finals MVP.
"It was a full team effort and I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime Jayson Tatum," Brown said on the championship podium. "He was with me the whole way, we share this s*** together."
Tatum was constantly grilled throughout the Mavs series about the prospect of Brown winning Finals MVP.
The humble forward insisted he was solely focused on winning a championship and used the example of Bryant who missed out on three consecutive Finals MVPs to Shaq between 2000-2002.
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Tatum said, ”It's important, but it's not like the main thing. Isiah Thomas, [Tim Duncan, and Larry Bird] didn't win Finals MVP every time, Steph Curry only has one, Kobe [Bryant] won two out of the five championships.”
“As a competitor, you want to win and accomplish everything in front of you. But I would not be the slightest bit sad if I didn't win Finals MVP. I would be ecstatic just to win the Finals."
O'Neal also reflected on his relationship with Bryant during their Lakers' title runs and admitted he was never the best player.
“In my Laker runs, I wasn’t the best player on the team," O'Neal said last week.
"I knew that, but I knew I was the most dominant. So, I knew my role. I knew what I had to do. I wasn’t worried about these useless titles. So if those two young gentlemen are worried about useless titles … it will definitely affect them tonight. … Not only affect this game, but they will lose the series."
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Shaq and Kobe won a historic three-peat at the turn of the century, capturing titles in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Tatum and Brown's Celtics are not at that level yet, but going back-to-back as champions next season would certainly be a huge step towards cementing their legacy as an all-time great team.
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