The Boston Celtics were unstoppable as they marched on to a record 18 NBA titles last season. The efforts of star duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown made them an unstoppable force in the Eastern Conference. The NBA Finals saw Brown win the coveted Finals MVP ahead of Tatum in a convincing manner. Brown stepped up big time after his sub-par performance in the 2022 NBA Finals.
With the new season approaching, the bookmakers may have caused an outrage. They saw it fit to name Jayson Tatum as the favorite for the award for the 2025 Finals. It is an unusual move, to say the least. With the Celtics being the favorites to retain their title, the current holder of the title should actually be the favorite to win it.
Furthermore, they might be a reason for this. JT has a lot to prove this coming season, as he needs to show he can recover from the difficult summer games and be the leader of an all-conquering Celtics team. On the other hand, Brown has been seen undergoing rigorous training regimens. From the look of things, he won’t likely submit to playing the second chair to his teammate.
Jayson Tatum is the favorite to win Finals MVP next season, per @BovadaOfficial
•Jayson Tatum +750
•Jaylen Brown +850
•Nikola Jokic +900
•Shai Gilgeous-Alexander +900
•Joel Embiid +1000
•Jalen Brunson +1100
•Luka Doncic +1100
•Anthony Edwards +1400
•Giannis… pic.twitter.com/HZBXnX9hw7— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) September 4, 2024
However, there are also rumors flying around that this is another attempt at breaking up the duo. Earlier, Brown made things awkward when he refused to comment on his teammate’s struggles at the Olympics. With all being said, the Celtics are out for blood as they aim to be the first team since the Warriors to retain their title in recent times.
Fans react as Jayson Tatum named favorite to win 2025 NBA Finals award
Controversy has been the trend in the Celtics camp. The latest was Jayson Tatum, named the favorite to win the 2025 NBA Finals MVP award, which in turn has sparked controversy among fans. Jaylen Brown did a great job of outshining his teammate, from winning the Eastern Conference MVP to the Finals MVP.
As a result, fans took to social media to digest the latest controversy as one user wrote on X: “The Jaylen Brown disrespect is crazy. He the defending Finals MVP.”
The Jaylen Brown disrespect is crazy. He the defending Finals MVP
— JBond 🍌 (@jbondwagon) September 4, 2024
A couple of other social media reactions:
Hmmm. Betting on revenge play after Olympics?
— MintSniper (@mintsniper) September 4, 2024
As expected, anybody who thinks Tatum is not going to come back with a chip on his shoulder is wildin
— Inside The Arc (@insidethearc__) September 4, 2024
It’s unfair to write off Tatum because he has been the more consistent player of the duo, bar his slump during the postseason. The Celtics title defense, however, starts against challengers from the East, the New York Knicks, in what promises to be an exciting season opener for both teams.
