In theory, an NBA championship should have set the Celtics up for a drama-free summer in which they could enjoy the fruits of their labor.
That hasn’t been the case, however.
Boston kicked off the offseason free of controversy, but that all changed when Jaylen Brown was left off Team USA for the Paris Olympics. Brown hasn’t shied away from his displeasure with the omission, which put his France-bound Celtics teammates in awkward spots.
The three-time All-Star being left off the Olympic team seemingly hasn’t prompted any internal strife on Causeway Street, but some believe there might be some friction between Boston’s leaders. Brown on Instagram recently hailed Anthony Edwards as the “#1 option” on Team USA, which some interpreted as a dig at Jayson Tatum.
It’s tough to imagine any of this will result in problems with Brown and Tatum. They’ve weathered far nastier media storms in their careers, and their bond reached a new level by finally getting over the hump and hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
But with more success comes more national attention. So don’t expect the Brown-Tatum speculation to die down any time soon, no matter how legitimate the source is.
