We've come a long way from wondering if Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown could play together.
The Celtics' two young stars emphatically shook off that narrative last season, making great strides as leaders and playmakers to help propel Boston to Game 6 of the NBA Finals. And as they enter their sixth season together, they have an intimate knowledge of what makes each other tick.
In an exclusive interview with NBC Sports Boston's Chris Forsberg, Brown and Tatum shared the one attribute they wished they could take from each other, and both gave insightful answers.
Stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams! Sign up here for our All Access Daily newsletter.
Forsberg's Mailbag: Could Sam Hauser be Boston's biggest surprise?
Brown said he'd like to have Tatum's cool under pressure.
"It seems everybody could be yelling and screaming or passionate, and JT's got that ability where he's just in his own vibe, you know what I mean?" Brown said. "He's able to keep himself not too high or not too low. At times where it could be frustration and you want him to say something to speak out, he just be -- he don't say nothing. He's just cool."
Tatum's steady presence helped him become one of the NBA's best clutch players in 2021-22, but Brown wants his All-Star teammate to be a more vocal leader this season.
Boston Celtics
Find the latest Boston Celtics news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
"We're gonna need him to speak more and talk more and be more vocal if we want to correct the ship and get this thing off to the right start," Brown said of Tatum.
Meanwhile, Tatum admires Brown's ability to manifest specific aspects of his game on the court.
"Many a time, he'll come to me right before the game, if he guards somebody, (he'll say), 'I'm not gonna let him shoot going right,' or, 'Whoever guards me in the first quarter, I'm setting the tone and I'm getting to the basket every time,'" Tatum said.
"The ability to think about something, say it and then go do it, that's special. Everybody doesn't have the ability to literally go do what they said they were gonna do."
Brown and Tatum are just 25 and 24 years old, respectively, but they've already blossomed into strong leaders on a Boston team with championship aspirations. While they have different personalities and different strengths on the court, they've developed a great chemistry by recognizing those differences and learning how to complement one another.
Tatum and Brown also discussed how they've made each other better, what the Celtics need to do this season to improve as a team and much more. Check out the full interview below.