NBA stars typically do not have a ton of team success early in their careers. For many players, it takes a bunch of years of disappointing playoff results before the tide turns.
Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are among the exceptions. They haven't had to wait to make deep playoff runs.
Game 1 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals starts Tuesday at TD Garden, where the Celtics host the Indiana Pacers. It will be Tatum and Brown's fifth conference finals appearance in their seven seasons as teammates. It's Brown's sixth appearance overall.
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They are two of just 11 players over the last four decades to reach the conference finals in at least five of their first seven seasons.
Here's the full list, per the NBA:
- Jayson Tatum
- Jaylen Brown
- Draymond Green
- Tayshaun Prince
- Scottie Pippen
- Horace Grant
- Joe Dumars
- Dennis Rodman
- John Salley
- Byron Scott
- James Worthy
Of course, winning the NBA Finals is ultimately what really matters, especially for a franchise like the Celtics that only hangs championship banners. Tatum and Brown have made only one NBA Finals appearance and lost to Curry's Golden State Warriors in six games in 2022.
But this accomplishment by Tatum and Brown is still pretty impressive. It's easy to forget they are still just 26 and 27 years old, respectively.