Six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum has defied the odds to return from an Achilles injury in less than 10 months, despite reservations about his inclusion in a settled and in form Boston Celtics. Acclimating an All-NBA player could disrupt the team’s current hierarchy, but Celtics legend Paul Pierce isn’t putting too much stock into that theory.
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It has been great to see Tatum back on a basketball court. The Celtics were already contenders in the East, but his presence has certainly propelled their ceiling even higher. Boston entered the season with minimal expectations, considering they gutted the core of their 2024 championship roster.
Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis were traded for financial reasons. It seemed that without Tatum to start the year, this would undoubtedly be a gap year for the team. Thankfully, Jaylen Brown had other plans.
Brown is currently having a career year with the Celtics, averaging 28.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game. He has put together an MVP-caliber season has only continued his from after Tatum’s return. Consequently, Paul Pierce believes all those fears and doubts about Tatum disturbing the team’s balance have been put to rest.
“You’ve got to understand these guys, they’ve been together for quite a while now,” Pierce said on No Fouls Given. “I’ve been around them. They’re good friends. They truly don’t care who gets the credit.”
Paul Pierce on the Jayson Tatum–Jaylen Brown situation:
“You got to understand these guys, they’ve been together for quite a while now. I’ve been around them. They’re good friends. They truly don’t care who gets the credit. I mean, we saw Brown had a magnificent run a couple… pic.twitter.com/7MiJt3tJV0
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 9, 2026
There wasn’t a player who was rooting for Tatum to return more than Brown. Despite countless narratives in the past, the two have showcased that there is no animosity between them. When Brown won Finals MVP over Tatum in 2024, the latter congratulated him and asserted that he was deserving of the title.
“We saw Brown had a magnificent run a couple of years ago. He won MVP honors of the Eastern Conference and the NBA championship. And there was no jealousy. They like, ‘Hey, okay, if it’s time for Brown to lead them right now, if that’s what it’s going to take for them to win.’ Tatum’s willing to sacrifice that,” Pierce proclaimed.
People often get so caught up in these debates that they forget the most important piece of context, which is that Tatum is fresh off an Achilles injury. It’s safe to assume Tatum himself doesn’t want to push himself too hard immediately. Having Brown take the lead allows the six-time All-Star to ease his way into things.
Brown and Tatum have proved they can share first option responsibilities en route to a championship. There shouldn’t be any questions regarding that. The questions should be focused on how far they can go in the postseason. As things stand, they have a great chance to do something special.
