Jayson Tatum recently delivered a brilliant response to the media after being questioned regarding the latest statements made by Jason Kidd. As most NBA fans should be aware, the Boston Celtics have made the NBA Finals for the second time in four years and have matched up against the Dallas Mavericks with the hopes of winning a coveted NBA championship.
After the Celtics won Game 1 and took the series lead, Jayson Kidd made a statement during the following postgame interview which generated quite a lot of attention from the basketball community. Tatum was recently interviewed and asked for a response to Kidd’s claim. With that being said, let us take a closer look and find out more about what Tatum had to say.
Jason Kidd claimed that Jaylen Brown was better than Jayson Tatum
Fans who have been following the Boston Celtics over the past few years will know that Jaylen Brown can also be considered a cornerstone for their franchise alongside Jayson Tatum. The duo has always gone deep into the postseason and has been on the verge of making or winning the NBA Finals multiple times.
After the Celtics took Game 1 with a commanding lead, Jason Kidd was asked about Jaylen Brown’s impact on the game. Although Kidd could have been brief and stuck to the facts, the Mavericks’ head coach began his response by claiming that Jaylen Brown was the best player on the Boston Celtics.
This was likely done in an attempt to take a shot at Jayson Tatum or bring some sense of friction and conflict to the Celtics’ locker room. While some Boston Celtics fans may have worried about how these statements would impact Tatum and the rest of his squad, JT put all their worries to rest during his most recent interview.Jayson Tatum acknowledges Jason Kidd’s attempt to play mind games
Objectively speaking, Jason Kidd tried quite a sneaky move in order to create a sense of tension among the Boston Celtics. However, Tatum saw through this and even went far enough to give Kidd credit for trying to create conflict among the Celtics’ best players. Here is what Tatum said when asked for a reaction to Kidd’s statement.
“No reaction. This is a team sport. We understand that. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have JB on our team and we could say that for a lot of guys right. We’ve all played a part in getting to where we’re at and we understand that people will try to drive a wedge in between us….”
Tatum continued, “Guess it’s a smart thing to do or try to do but we’ve been in this position for many years with guys trying to divide us and say that one of us should be traded or that one’s better than the other…”The Celtics star pointed out that fans have been trying to divide him and Brown for several years. Therefore, Kidd’s attempts at doing the same were nothing that they had not experienced in the past. His response appears to show a certain sense of control and understanding. In any case, fans are left wondering how Kidd will coach the Mavericks in Game 2 now that his mind games do not seem to be working well.