In this segment of The Draymond Green Show, host Draymond Green asks Jayson Tatum about the persistent narrative that he and teammate Jaylen Brown cannot win a championship together. Tatum reflects on their shared playoff history, noting that they have reached the Eastern Conference Finals multiple times and have made the playoffs every year of their partnership. He acknowledges the external criticism but emphasizes that success is only validated by winning a title. The conversation also touches on their ages, the notion of reaching a prime in the late 20s, and the healthy competitive dynamic that pushes both players to improve. Tatum praises Brown’s development, citing his All‑Star selection and improved shooting, and highlights how their constant one‑on‑one work and mutual push have been beneficial for both careers.
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What's up everybody? It's Draymond Green. Make sure you subscribe to the Volumes YouTube channel below so you don't miss any more of this great content going forward. For years, there's been this whole notion of you and Jaylen Brown can't play together. Again, y'all are so young in y'all career. The fact that people wanna write it off already is kind of tough, but in the same token, it is, In the same token, it's also respect to y'all and what y'all have done. Because like I said, since y'all came into it, y'all been doing it at this level. And so for everybody in they mind, it's been more than 4 years, you know, because your rookie year, y'all went to the Eastern Conference Finals. You dunk on LeBron James, you know, like this your rookie year. For everybody, they've now been seeing it for so long, in their mind it's like, that can't work, they need to move on. The reality is it hasn't had any time, any time to manifest itself into what it could possibly be. I am extremely happy to see it working because I have a huge amount of respect for Jaylen Brown, the player he is. I mean, the way he handle and shoot the ball now, like he work on his game. Like there's no other way to slice it. That guy, who he was 5 years ago at Cal, that guy work on his game. Like there's no other way to slice it. So I'm happy to see it working. But what was the key for you and him blocking out all the noise and understanding that ultimately, bro, we got each other and people are gonna talk and they're saying this, But at such a young age, y'all having to go through that and work y'all way through that. What was the key for y'all to stick together and say like, "Nah, we gonna figure it out together." Yeah, I think it's a lot to digest there.
I think, so my first year was his second year. JB went, JB been in the conference finals 3 times. He went year before when I got there and then the bubble year. And I've been twice. So we've had way more success than we haven't. You know, last year, you know, was the weirdest season in NBA history with COVID protocols.
Absolutely.
No fans, guys dealing with COVID no vaccine. Like it was the weirdest season. He get hurt. We was a 7th seed. We made the playoffs, you know, wasn't great. Started off rocky this year. So it was like a rough year and a half. And you know, we didn't play great that time, but it is what it is. But we've had way more success together than we haven't. We've, you know, we've made the playoffs every year. And I think in this league, what I've realized is everybody, you can't, everybody will say you can't win until you do. Nobody can win a championship. Nobody can be the best player on the championship team until they do it.
Until you do it. Until you do it. Facts.
Facts. And the narrative just like, that's just what it is. Like Book, like he wasn't a winner until he, you know, he had some pieces around him and he went to the championship. Now he is like, no, we all knew like how good he was and what he could do. He just, you know, no knock to the guys on his team. They just weren't that good. So like, I think we can't figure it out until we win a championship and then it's like, all right, they can win. And I think that's just like the world, that we live in. And once you understand like that's just the business of what we do and you know, yeah, it seems like we've been together forever. It's been 5 years, but I just turned 24 and JB's only 25. Like what they say, you don't reach your prime till 28, 27, 28, 29.
So like— Shit, now it's like 31, 32.
Yeah, 30. So we can just say 30. So if you look at that point, like, damn, we still like not as good as we gonna be. And for us, we are two of like the most competitive guys. I think one of the best things for my career and his is that we've been on the same team and that we worked with each other, worked out, played one-on-one a million times. Like, I push him and he pushes me. And it's been, and it's a healthy competitiveness and environment between us. And like you said, the strides that he's made from his first year and to who he is now, he's even made the All-Star Game last year. I was extremely happy for him just knowing how far he's come and like who the player he is now. Like you said, seeing what he does now, that only means that he worked on his game.
Absolutely.
Like that's all that that means. So, and I know that about, and I know like how bad JB wants to win aside from everything else. And like we trust each other enough and like I've been in enough close games, I've been in enough playoff series where I know like if I got number 7 on my team, I know I like, I believe he gonna do whatever it take for us to help to win this game. Like we done won enough close games together, enough playoff series where like, Yeah. I know push come to shove, he got my back and I got his. And that's fine if the whole world doesn't see that or know that or like we not posting on Instagram with each other hanging out every day or this and that. And like, that's fine. But we like, as long as we know and the people in that locker room know that like, you know, we in this together, then I think it just make for, it's gonna make for a better story. You know, whenever we do hang that banner, it's like, No, we can, you know, we can do this together. Thank you.
