Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd might have tried to stir things up for the Boston Celtics this weekend. But Celtics star Jayson Tatum was having none of it.
Kidd recently commented on the Mavs’ opponent in the 2024 NBA Finals after Boston took a 1-0 series lead Thursday night. Ahead of Game 2 Sunday night, Kidd said that Jaylen Brown, not Tatum, is the team’s best player. It’s pretty arguable between the two, but pitting them against each other, or attempting to, was viewed as gamesmanship by the opposing coach.
Tatum delivered a stonefaced response to the controversy this weekend.
“No reaction,” Tatum told reporters. “This is a team sport. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have JB on our team. People try to drive a wedge between us. It’s a smart thing to do, or try to do.”
Jayson Tatum on Jason Kidd calling Jaylen Brown the #Celtics best player:
“No reaction. This is a team sport. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have JB on our team… People try to drive a wedge between us. It’s a smart thing to do, or try to do… We’ve been in this situation.” pic.twitter.com/iQpuhst3SP
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) June 8, 2024
Tatum made it clear that Boston’s been in this situation before and they appear focused to not let it bother them again. The Celtics had an incredible performance in Game 1 and looked like an unstoppable machine at times. Tatum and Brown are a big reason why, and it doesn’t look like any wedge will be able to be driven between them.
