By Rory Carroll
(Reuters) – Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics appeared to have finally won the respect of the NBA when they dominated the regular season and playoffs to win their elusive 18th title last season.
And then came the Paris Olympics.
Fresh off winning Finals MVP, Brown was left off of the roster for Team USA and made it clear on social media that he was taken aback by the decision.
Brown was also overlooked when it came time to hand out All-Defensive and All-NBA honors last season, but the 27-year-old said the snubs have only inspired him to work harder.
“As a competitor, you’re always looking for any key identifiers that could help you be motivated, stay motivated, and add to that chip on your shoulder,” he told NBC Sports Boston last month.
“I’m that type of guy already. I’m always looking for something. But when things don’t go your way or when those voices get louder, it makes you wake up even more to drive and be better.”
Tatum, who struggled with his shot last post-season, was named to the Olympic squad but sat on the bench for two games including the semi-final against Serbia and played just 11 minutes in the gold medal game against France.
He described his limited role on the team as a “tough” experience.
“Did I need any extra motivation coming into the season?” he said during a recent press conference.
“No, I’m not going to give anyone in particular credit that they’re motivating me this season.
“It was a unique circumstance, something I hadn’t experienced before in my playing career. I was coming off a championship, highest of the highs … and then that happened.
“Whatever the reason is, I haven’t figured it out yet, but it was a good experience. We won the gold medal, I won my second one, and I was around some of the best players to play the game on a daily basis.”
Celtics fans are eager to see their stars back in action. Ticket demand for the team is nearly double that of last season, according to retailer StubHub, trailing only the New York Knicks.
The Celtics season opener against the Knicks, where the storied franchise will raise their NBA record 18th championship banner at TD Garden, is the most in-demand game of the 2024-2025 season, StubHub said.
The Celtics are also heavy betting favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy this season, and Tatum said he and the team are hungry for more success and to permanently silence the doubters.
“It was never about trying to win just one,” he said.
“We want to be on the top of the mountain as many times as we can.”
(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles; Editing by Sonali Paul)
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