While Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have already carved out a place in the hearts of Celtics fans, if they're lifting the Larry O'Brien Trophy shortly after the final buzzer blows on Monday, they'll become immortalized in the city they star in.
While there are certainly exceptions, like the relationship between Celtics fans and Kevin Garnett, generally speaking, the bond between homegrown franchise players and the city they star in runs deeper than later arrivals.
Fair or not, the Celtics' championship pedigree and the history of winning in a region whose sports teams treated them to 10 titles in 17 years, shapes how success short of that standard gets processed."It did take some time," said Tatum of getting drafted by and entering the NBA on a franchise with championship expectations. "For one, normally, when you're a top-five draft pick, you go to a lottery team that is rebuilding.
When the St. Louis, Missouri native arrived as a 19-year-old, he didn't realize the expectations he was about to get held to. To fully grasp that, he had to learn more than the common knowledge about the Celtics and gain an understanding of what came before him. That would surely make helping lead the team that raises Banner 18 to the TD Garden rafters that much sweeter. Perhaps it's also aided Tatum in dealing with the pressure of starring in a sports-crazed region with championship expectations.
Echoing that sentiment, Jaylen Brown shared of his bond with Boston, "It's definitely a blessing to be here, to represent the Celtics, my family, the organization, the community, our greater community. It's an honor that I don't take lightly.
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