Brown, Tatum ‘Feel a Lot Different’ Heading into 2nd NBA Finals

BOSTON – Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum’s first trip to the NBA Finals ended in heartbreak – a heartbreak that has been fueling them and serving as their motivation for the past two years.

Now that their opportunity for redemption has arrived, they’re ready to seize the moment.

On the eve of Game 1, Brown and Tatum spoke on their journey back to the NBA’s biggest stage, reflecting on how their first Finals experience against the Golden State Warriors in 2022 helped to shape their mindset going into this series against the Dallas Mavericks.

“I think we understood what it took to get there,” Tatum said Wednesday afternoon, looking back on Boston’s 2022 run. “And [Golden State] understood what it took to get over the hump … It was a lesson to be learned. I told myself that if I ever got the opportunity again to make it to the Finals, never take it for granted. Obviously, we’re here now and I’m thankful to be here. I’m excited to get ready to play and have fun tomorrow.”

Brown says he’s rewatched that Finals series four or five times. As painful as it is to relive, it’s a small price to pay if it can help provide intel on getting over the hump this time.

“I think you can always learn from anything really,” Brown said. “But just being able to watch those moments and learn from them, how to manage your emotions, like, what you would have done differently, potentially. I don’t think that’s bad to look at and acknowledge and be aware of.”

Brown and Tatum also both acknowledged how much of an impact this series can have on their own personal legacies as well as that of the team.

“If you want to be one of the greats to put on this uniform, every great before you won a championship,” Tatum said. “That’s what we try to play for every single season. The expectations are obviously different here. It takes special players to be here and to be a part of an environment like that.”

“Special” is exactly how Brown described this group. He noted how several members of this core have been through so much together, coming up just short of their goal on several occasions. Going through such adversity has helped to shape who they are and how driven they’ve become.

“I think this is a special group, I really do,” Brown said. “The core group of it has been here for a few years now. We’ve been able to go through the experiences of having success but not having success at the same time. I think to solidify it, the ultimate goal is to get over the hump and win. I think that will add a lot to our legacy. But as of right now, that story is still untold.”

As important as it is to stay in the present of this story, it can still be beneficial to flip back to past chapters to provide insight into how to approach the journey ahead. Doing so can provide the knowledge to pen a happy ending.

“I’m a firm believer in everything happens for a reason,” said Tatum. “There’s a lesson to be learned in every situation. I do feel a lot different this time, this go-around, two years later. I’m excited for the opportunity for us to get the job done.”