The NBA has announced the league’s All-NBA teams for the 2022-2023 regular season, and Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have each earned a nod as one of the best players in the league for the year. Tatum was named to the All-NBA First Team, while Brown was listed as a member of the All-NBA Second Team.
As individuals and as a duo, Tatum and Brown are among the best in the business, and have been the anchors of this era of Celtics basketball for several years now, propelling the team to several deep postseason runs and a Finals appearance in that time. In 2022-23, Brown and Tatum each elevated their status further, earning twin All-Star nods and now All-NBA honors as a result. This is Tatum’s third All-NBA team, and Brown’s first career time making the cut, and one that could have major implications for the Celtics moving forward.
Importantly, thanks to new contract structures in the league’s latest collective bargaining Agreement (CBA), both Tatum and Brown are now eligible to sign huge contract extensions with the Celtics in the coming seasons.
Jayson Tatum: All-NBA First Team
Tatum was a bonafide stud this year, and had his best season as a pro. He was a true MVP contender for much of the season, and was named an All-Star starter for the first time in his career. Tatum scored 30.1 points per game during the regular season, a career best, alongside new highs in assists, free throw attempts, and rebounds.
Setting so many new career highs is extra impressive when considering Tatum earned All-NBA First Team honors last season, too. At just 25, the St. Louis native is getting better with age.
Notably, Tatum also excelled on the defensive end this year, something that can sometimes be harder to find in the nightly box score. All told, he was more physical and assertive on both ends, cementing his status as one of the NBA’s top stars.
Jaylen Brown: All-NBA Second Team
Because Tatum had previously earned All-NBA status, he was already eligible to sign a supermax contract in the the 2024 offseason. With the new CBA, that’s estimated to be $318 million over five years, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Brown’s All-NBA nod is much more consequential. It’s his first time making an All-NBA team as a pro, and unlocks the possibility of a supermax contract extension. Because Brown is set to hit free agency in 2024, he can sign such an extension as soon as this summer.
By earning All-NBA honors, Brown is now eligible for a contract extension worth five years and $295 million. This is more money and more years than Brown could be offered on the open market as a free agent next summer, and more than the Celtics would be able to offer if Brown did not make All-NBA. Such a lucrative contract may be enough to limit any interest Brown may or may not have in changing teams in the near future.
Like Tatum, Brown had one his finest years as a pro, setting career-highs in scoring and rebounding. His growth equally propelled Boston to one of the team’s best regular seasons in recent memory. Triggering such a remunerative contract bonus is worthy prize.
Generational talents
Landing All-NBA honors positions Boston’s two stars among the very best in the Association. Tatum joins Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dallas Maverick guard, Luka Doncic, Philadelphia 76ers forward Joel Embiid, and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo on the 2023 All-NBA First Team.
The All-NBA Second Team includes Brown, as well as Golden State Warrior guard Stephen Curry, Cleveland Cavalier guard Donovan Mitchell, Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler, and Denver Nuggets forward Nikola Jokic.
For posterity, the All-NBA Third team features Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, New York Knicks forward Julius Randle, and Sacramento Kings forward Domantas Sabonis.
With Derrick White landing All-Defensive Second Team Honors and Malcolm Brogdon winning the Sixth Man of the Year Award, the Celtics have racked up a high number of individual accolades this season. Though a coveted 18th banner remains the ultimate goal, these trophies and honorifics help underscore how successful the 2022-23 regular season was for Boston.
These two awards are big accomplishments for Tatum and Brown, regardless of what happens in the postseason. Even an early playoff exit can’t erase two brilliant regular season campaigns, each worthy of praise and congratulations.
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