Upon Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum being drafted third overall in back-to-back years, the Celtics were "almost instantly branded with the hopes of a franchise that was desperately chasing its elusive 18th championship".
However, Brown and Tatum combined to score 55 points, making them the first duo under 22 years old to do so since Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
[14] The Celtics would make it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they lost to the Cavaliers in seven games.
After the end of the Celtics' season, a writer for the Associated Press wrote: "With the rookie Tatum and second-year Jaylen Brown, Boston established itself as the team of the future in the East.
[18][19] The Celtics made it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, where they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in five games.
[22][23] The Celtics returned to the Eastern Conference Finals, but lost to the Miami Heat in six games.
[24][25] On February 23, 2021, Brown and Tatum were selected for an All-Star Game together for the first time, later considered an important milestone in their partnership.
[27] The Celtics finished the regular season with a 36–36 record, and defeated the Washington Wizards in the Play-In Tournament to secure the #7-seed in the Eastern Conference.
[35][36] The Celtics advanced to their third Eastern Conference Finals together in five years, defeating the Miami Heat in seven games to advance to the duo's first ever NBA Finals, where the Celtics lost to the Golden State Warriors in six games despite a 2–1 lead.
[41][42] Brown and Tatum advanced to their fourth Eastern Conference Finals together in six years, once again facing the Miami Heat.
It was the fourth time the pair had both scored 35+ points in the same game, a feat which no other Celtics duo has ever done more than once.
Notably, they became the first pair of teammates in NBA history to each tally at least 30 points, two blocks, and no turnovers in the same game.
Their combined 56 points contributed to the East's 211-point victory, the highest of any team in All-Star Game history.
[49][50] The Celtics cruised through the Eastern Conference to reach the 2024 NBA Finals, facing the Mavericks.
Upon receiving the trophy, he remarked: "I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime, Jayson Tatum.