As the NBA season progresses into its second half, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics are experiencing a successful run, currently holding the best record in the league with a significant lead. Boston boasts an impressive 4.5-game advantage over the next team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, in the overall standings. Tatum’s performance has been remarkable, reaching MVP-level play for the Celtics this season. He continues to excel, contributing significantly to the team’s success while seamlessly incorporating new teammates Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday into the lineup.

Throughout the years, considerable attention has been given to the capacity, or lack thereof depending on the perspective, of Tatum and his co-star Jaylen Brown to harmonize, leading to questions about the nature of their off-court relationship. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla recently shared his perspective on these concerns.

“They’ve been lumped together for so long and they’re different people, they’re different types of players, they’re different types of leaders and just because they’re young and they both play a relatively similar position they’ve always been the two of them,” said Mazzulla, per Bobby Manning of Celtics on CLNS on X, the social media platform formerly referred to as Twitter. “They don’t have to be best friends.”

Certainly, a prevalent critique of the Tatum-Brown collaboration revolves around the similarity in their playing styles, a characteristic that NBA history implies may not be advantageous for a team’s top two players. Nevertheless, ultimately, it is the outcomes that hold significance, and there’s no disputing Boston’s achievements in the ongoing season.