The end-of-season accolades kept coming for the Boston Celtics Wednesday night as it was time for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown to step into the spotlight.
Tatum and Brown garnered the most prominent recognition with the league unveiling its All-NBA teams. Tatum was selected to All-NBA First Team for the second straight season while Brown earned All-NBA status for the first time in his career by landing on the Second Team. For Brown, the honor comes with great significance as it has a major impact on his next contract.
Tatum, who was an All-NBA Third Team selection for the 2019-20 season, received 92 first-place votes, which only trailed Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Brown ended up making the Second Team as a forward after getting one first-place vote, 45 second-place votes and 29 third-place votes.
“Because I know our team is selfless and I know they want to win more than anything, getting individual awards along the way is good because I trust our team’s togetherness,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters Wednesday, per CLNS Media video. “Those two guys want to win as a team more than anybody else. We’re grateful to have that.”
The Celtics were one of only two teams to have two players earn All-NBA honors. The Sacramento Kings were the other team with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis both being named to the Third Team.
Joining Tatum and Antetokounmpo on the First Team was NBA MVP Joel Embiid, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic. Brown was part of a star-studded group on the Second Team, which included Denver Nuggets standout Nikola Jokic, Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell and Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler.
Tatum, 25, elevated his play again in his sixth NBA season and was even at the forefront of the MVP conversation early in the season. He finished the regular-season averaging a career-high 30.1 points per game — something no other Celtic has ever done — to go along with 8.8 rebounds and 4.6 assists.
His running mate in Brown wasn’t far behind him as they formed one of the best, if not the best, duo in the entire NBA. The 26-year-old also had a career-high in scoring production by netting 26.6 points per game on 49.1% shooting while grabbing 6.9 rebounds and dishing out 3.5 assists.
Tatum and Brown don’t have much time to bask in their All-NBA glory, though, with the Celtics on the brink of elimination against the Philadelphia 76ers. Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals tips off Thursday night at 7:30 p.m. ET at Wells Fargo Center.
