Getty Jayson Tatum, Javonte Green, Boston Celtics
We’ve all heard the complaints from former NBA players about how “pally pally” the league has become, and how those friendships have dampened the competitive spirit within the sport.
But on Wednesday, April 6, the Boston Celtics faced off against the Chicago Bulls, which pitted Jayson Tatum against one of his best friends: Javonte Green. When it comes to Tatum, we’ve often seen him take friendships too far on the court, no, not by going soft on guys, but instead, by trying to beat them singlehandedly.
Still, against Green and the Bulls, Tatum played a team game and helped lead the Celtics to a blow-out victory that was over before the fourth quarter even got started. The victory helped keep Boston in the hunt for the second seed in the Eastern Conference, but it also gave the three-time All-Star bragging rights over a friend he used to also call a teammate.
It’s well documented that Jayson Tatum and Javonte Green are close after playing together in Boston. But that friendship, Tatum told me before tonight’s game against Green and the Chicago Bulls, has its boundaries. “Out there, no friends in the game,” Tatum said.
Tatum and Green bonded during their time on the Celtics, with the pairing previously mentioning that they’ve spent time together along with their families, as both are young parents.
Nameless Faceless Opponents
Ime Udoka has been rather upfront when discussing how the Celtics lacked a killer instinct to begin the season. However, as the year has worn on, Boston has embraced a physical style of basketball and takes no prisoners for the full 48 minutes.
“For us, it’s nameless, faceless opponents. Continue to do what we’re doing. And hold ourselves to that standard that we talked about regardless of who we’re playing,” Udoka told the media in February after the Celtics had defeated the Orlando Magic.
It seems like the Celtics have embraced Udoka’s messaging because we’ve seldom seen any member of Boston’s rotation show any signs of friendship on the court. In fact, this current version of the Celtics will step over their opponents before helping them up off the floor, and it’s that level of competitiveness that’s seen the team become the top-ranked defensive unit in the league.
Celtics Will Prioritize Health Heading Into The Playoffs
The Celtics have two games remaining on their regular-season schedule, the first is on Thursday, April 7, against the Milwaukee Bucks, with their final game coming on Sunday, April 10, versus the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Eastern Conference is still wide open in terms of fighting for the second seed, and with the Celtics likely keen to avoid a first-round contest against the Brooklyn Nets, opting to rest players and focus on keeping them fresh could be the smartest move.
“The biggest thing for us is, that we have to make sure that we are at our best as a team, but also health-wise, physically. You know, this past month, we’ve been playing some high-intensity basketball. So you know, we’ll see what happens. But at the end of the day, we have to do what’s best for our group. We have to make sure that we’re in the best position come playoff time,” Al Horford told the media following the Celtics’ victory over the Chicago Bulls on April 6.
Boston has been one of the best teams in the NBA since the turn of the year and with their physical style of play and winning mentality, there’s no reason why they can’t make a deep run in the post-season and prove that they’re improving as a unit. And who knows, if they can keep their friendships at bay, perhaps banner 18 is right around the corner.
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Jayson Tatum Puts Boundaries on Relationship With Ex-Celtics Teammate & Best Friend