Despite the Celtics’ continued success in recent years, one question has always left the hoop community scratching their heads – Who is the team’s leader between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum? Well, both superstars were drafted around the same time and have been co-faces of the franchise ever since. But Brown cleared people’s doubt during the recent All-Star Weekend as he boldly claimed, “I’ve been here the longest… Even though we have a lot of great players, I feel like my team relies on me to be the leader. The vocal leader. I’ve taken that role.” However, Joe Mazzulla’s latest comments say otherwise!
When asked about the team’s ‘Captain’ role and why he has not appointed one so far, the head coach said, “We all have a role and a responsibility to the culture and the locker room. Giving it to one person takes away the leadership of everybody. The best part of this team is everyone’s a captain.” Yes, while Brown has referred to himself as the ‘Captain’ multiple times, Mazzulla believes that the role belongs to every member of the team, and not just one player.
Sure enough, the Cs are a team of heavy-hitters with multiple All-Stars in their starting lineup and a deep bench. That’s one of the reasons they won the championship last year. And Mazzulla wants every player to hold themselves accountable. But his comments might sting Brown a bit, who was confident that his team feeds off his energy, “Defensively, being the head of the snake, taking on those matchups, my team feeds off of that.”
Asked Mazzulla about the ‘captain’ role on #Celtics & them not naming one under him: “We all have a role and a responsibility to the culture and the locker room. Giving it to one person takes away the leadership of everybody. The best part of this team is everyone’s a captain.”
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) February 22, 2025
Even during last year’s title run, Brown was always guarding the best player on the opposing team and was a menace on both ends. That’s why he bagged the Finals MVP trophy despite averaging lower numbers than Tatum. But it looks like all the accolades are not enough to make him the sole captain of the team.
Despite Joe Mazzulla’s comments, the Celtics are Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum’s team
Although Brown and Tatum are still in their mid-twenties, they are one of the most accomplished duos in the league. Together, they have been to five Conference Finals, two NBA Finals, and lifted the Larry O’Brien trophy once. And even though Mazzulla claims every member is a captain, it’s clear that it is Tatum and Brown’s team. JB even acknowledged it, “Even though we don’t necessarily have it written down, the team moves to the things me and Jayson do.”
Even his teammate Derrick White highlighted in a 2023 interview that Brown and Tatum bring a lot more to the table than just their incredible stats, “They do so much night in and night out that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet; we’re thankful to have them.” Well, as long as the Celtics are contending for the title, Brown and Tatum might not mind who holds the ‘Captain’ tag because the only thing that truly matters is winning the Championship. Do you agree?
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