Joe Mazzulla bashes media members pushing a Tatum vs. Brown narrative
BOSTON -- Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are one of the brightest young duos in the NBA, and they have the Celtics back in the NBA Finals for a second time in the last three seasons. They've enjoyed quite a bit of success since joining forces in Boston, but for whatever reason, some factions of the media continue to try to push them apart.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has seen -- and heard -- enough, and isn't going to stand for it anymore.
"It's bulls--t," Mazzulla said on Friday.
Those two words sum up Mazzulla's synopsis of the situation, but he had a lot more to say about media members pushing the idea that there is a beef between Boston's top two stars. This unfounded narrative is nothing knew, despite both players doing their best to squash that type of speculation over the years. Apparently all the in-game hugs and high-fives and praise they give each other isn't enough.
The narrative really entered silly territory earlier this week, when ESPN's First Take speculated that Tatum wasn't happy that Brown earned Eastern Conference Finals MVP over him following Boston's sweep of the Indiana Pacers. Each of Brown's teammates were on the floor when he received the Larry Bird Trophy, and everyone had a grand old time celebrating with Brown.
But in the eyes of ESPN, Tatum wasn't excited enough. And they used it to push this fantasy that the two best players on the Celtics don't like each other.
"The whole thing about that really pisses me off," Mazzulla said Friday when asked about this Tatum vs. Brown narrative. "I think it's unfair to both of them and I think it's stupid that people have to use their names and information that they don't know to create clickbait so they can stay relevant.
"It's very funfair that those two get compared; they're two completely different people and two completely different players," continued Mazzulla. "They are great teammates. They love each other and they go about winning and go about their process in different ways. Why they have to always be lumped together, I think it's unfair and people use it for their own relativity."
Tatum and Brown are two very different players, which is why they've become known as "Fire and Ice" to some fans. Both are completely capable of taking over games, and they never seem to mind when the other handles the heavy lifting. They've spoken on a number of occasions about how they push one another to reach the highest level of their game, which Mazzulla sees every time they share the court.
"Their relationship is their relationship. They love each other and they push each other every single day in practice. They communicate with each other but go about winning differently," Mazzulla explained. "It's unfair they're being compared to each other. Other duos around the league don't have to go through that. It's because of the platform they have and because they've been so successful their entire careers."
Mazulla again reiterated that any talk of a Tatum and Brown beef is just the efforts of media members trying to stay relevant themselves.
"People need them in order to stay relevant. They shouldn't talk on speculation, they should get to know them as people. They're two of the greatest teammates and greatest players you can have, and it's been an honor to coach them," he said, before delivering one final MMA-style kick to the speculation.
"It's bulls--t. I love both of them and they deserve better," closed Mazzulla.
Unfortunately for Tatum and Brown, this is the kind of stuff that will following them around until they win a title. At least they're right on that doorstep again, with a showdown with the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals tipping off next Thursday.
Unfortunately for the Celtics, that leaves the media another six days to come up with more unfounded talking points before the Celtics and the Mavericks square off.