Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd is hoping to get under the skin of Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum ahead of Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
During Saturday's press conference, the Mavericks coach told reporters that guard Jaylen Brown is the Celtics' best player, not Tatum.
"Jaylen’s their best player. Looking at what he does defensively, he picked up Luka [Doncic] full court, got to the free throw line, did everything," Kidd said. "That’s what your best player does."
Brown's stat line was more appealing in Game 1 with 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 3 steals compared to Tatum's 16 points and 11 rebounds on 37.5% shooting. Not to mention, Brown won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award over Tatum in a 5-4 vote.
The five-time All-Star is seemingly unfazed by Kidd's comments, focusing on helping the Celtics win their first title since 2008.
“No reaction. This is a team sport," Tatum said. "We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have JB on our team. You can say that for a lot of guys we've all played a part.
"People try to drive a wedge between us. It’s a smart thing to do — or try to do — but we’ve been in this position for many years.”
Jayson Tatum on Jason Kidd calling Jaylen Brown the #Celtics best player:
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) June 8, 2024
“No reaction. This is a team sport. We wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have JB on our team… People try to drive a wedge between us. It’s a smart thing to do, or try to do… We’ve been in this situation.” pic.twitter.com/iQpuhst3SP
