When I talk about your teammates, I’m curious how this process deepened your connection or appreciation for Jaylen Brown, because so much of his MVP-level play is what laid the foundation for this to be a championship-contending team that you’re returning to. Jayson Tatum: Well, absolutely.
Honestly, I’ve been his teammate for nine years, so I wasn’t surprised at all. He’s shown this level of play. For me, it was just like, I was out, we lost Jrue, we lost KP, we lost Al, and it allowed an opportunity for him and the rest of the team to have to step up and carry more on their shoulders. Somebody as talented as he is, and as driven and as accomplished, now given more opportunity, I was fully a believer in what he was able to do and what the rest of the team was able to do. We had a team meeting the day before I came back, so that would have been a Thursday. I remember I sat in front of the team and just vaguely expressed my thoughts and what I’d been dealing with this year. A lot of it was me showing my appreciation for them and being quite candid, like: you guys attacking the season the way you did, competing the way you did, being as together as you were, and playing with the joy and passion that y’all played with, it made me want to get out of my situation and be out there with you guys.
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