“I feel like my team relies on me to be the leader, the vocal leader. I’ve taken that role.”
The Celtics have been a powerhouse of the NBA for some time now, and much of the team’s recent success can be credited to the two-headed monster of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Over the last two years, that duo has arguably been the best in the NBA, and while Tatum might lead Boston in many key categories on the floor, Brown has established his own role as the leader in the Celtics’ locker room.
Brown’s referred to himself as the Celtics’ “captain” a few times throughout this year, and during his All-Star media session, Brown was asked why he feels that way.
“One, I’m the longest-tenured Celtic. I’ve been here the longest, so even though we don’t necessarily have it written down, the team moves to the things me and Jayson do,” Brown said, per Bobby Manning. “I feel like my team relies on me to be the leader, the vocal leader. I’ve taken that role, and defensively, being the head of the snake, taking on those matchups, my team feeds off that.
“So, it’s understood I guess.”
Defensively, while Brown doesn’t get the kind of credit that Derrick White and Jrue Holiday do, he is certainly a difference-maker for the reasons he alluded to. Brown’s athleticism and size give him the ability to draw a wide range of assignments defensively.
Against the Warriors, for example, Brown guards the smaller and highly efficient Steph Curry, but he’s still capable of guarding bigger forwards on any given night as well.
For Brown and Tatum’s first handful of years in the NBA, they had vocal leaders around them to feed off. Marcus Smart was the most prominent vocal figure for a few years, but once he was traded ahead of last season, Boston needed a new voice.
It seems Brown had no issues filling those shoes, and the Celtics seem to embrace him in that role, too.
Both Brown and Tatum will play for Team Shaq during Sunday night’s NBA All-Star tournament. The first matchup tips off at 8 p.m.
