Jaylen Brown and the Boston Celtics have been one of the best storylines of the NBA this season. Jayson Tatum was recovering from an Achilles injury for most of the season, but the team has managed to go 43-22, good for second in the Eastern Conference. On top of this, Brown has been an MVP candidate, averaging 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists per contest.
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Despite Brown’s otherworldly stats this season, Celtics legend Robert Parish doesn’t think that it’s his team. He believes that Tatum is seen as the leader of the unit by his teammates, even if they don’t want to admit it.
“Whether Jayson’s teammates admit it or not, that’s Jayson Tatum’s team. Period,” Parish told SiriusXM NBA Radio. “With all due respect to what Brown is doing and what he has done, the best player on that team is Jayson Tatum.”
Tatum is a former 30-point-per-game scorer and NBA champion. There’s no doubt that with him now back in the fold, the Celtics will have more confidence as a team moving forward. But the comments were quite dismissive of Brown’s efforts in his absence.
“Whether Jayson’s teammates admit it or not, that’s Jayson Tatum’s team”
Robert Parish makes it clear who is the best player on the Celtics with @WorldWideWob
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— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) March 12, 2026
In three games back from injury, Tatum is averaging about 20 points per game, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. He’s come back in strong form, but also seems to be on a restriction of 27 minutes per contest. He’s also missing the game against the OKC Thunder tonight as he continues to manage his Achilles.
With this in mind, it’s hard to say that the Celtics are still Tatum’s team as of now. He’s been off the court for so much this season that Brown has had to step up, and has done so excellently. But maybe Parish knows something that we don’t.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter whose team it is. Brown and Tatum will need to work together to get to their ultimate goal of a second NBA title. There’s not really any need to drum up controversy about who the face of the franchise is, especially heading into the playoffs.
Still, it’s an interesting conversation. Before Tatum’s return, many saw the Celtics as a good story, but not serious contenders to win the championship. That’s all changed now that he’s back and looking somewhat like his old self. It’s great to see. At the same time, though, it’s also kind of a shame that we won’t get to see Brown prove if he could lead the team to a title by himself.
