Kidd calls Jaylen Brown the Celtics' 'best player'
BOSTON - Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd raised some eyebrows on Saturday when he heaped praise on a member of the Boston Celtics.
Kidd was asked a question about the challenges of facing Celtics forward Jaylen Brown when the Mavs coach made a proclamation many didn't expect.
"Jaylen's their best player. Looking at what he does defensively, he picked up Luka full court, got to the free throw line, did everything, and that's what your best player does," Kidd said.
Brown led the Celtics with 22 points in Game 1 and made some outstanding plays on the defensive end.
Jayson Tatum, who finished first team All-NBA this season and is generally considered the Celtics' best player, was quiet in the first game of the Finals. Tatum finished with 16 points, but grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and tied for the team lead in assists with 5.
He was later asked if he had any reaction to Kidd's comments.
"No reaction. This is a team sport. We understand that we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t have JB on our team," said Tatum.
The Celtics star hinted that there might be some ulterior motives behind Kidd's comments.
"People try to drive a wedge between us. It’s a smart thing to do, or try to do," Tatum said.
Brown, Tatum and the Celtics will take on the Mavs in Boston on Sunday at 7 p.m.
