{"id":777841,"date":"2026-07-04T09:27:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T09:27:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/777841\/"},"modified":"2026-07-04T09:27:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T09:27:18","slug":"much-like-the-big-three-the-jays-era-left-fans-grateful-but-craving-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/777841\/","title":{"rendered":"Much like the Big Three, the Jays era left fans grateful but craving more"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you\u2019ve followed the Celtics<\/a> closely over some portion of the last 40 years, there\u2019s a strong chance a specific series sticks in your mind as the one that slipped away.<\/p>\n

For those in their 50s or 60s, it\u2019s likely 1987. For those in their teens or 20s, it\u2019s likely 2022. For those who are my age, in their early 30s or a bit older, it\u2019s almost certainly the 2010 NBA Finals.<\/p>\n

That loss was absolutely devastating as a high-schooler who watched every game religiously. I hated Kobe Bryant (rest in peace to a legend). I hated Pau Gasol. I hated Derek Fisher. Don\u2019t get me started on Sasha Vuja\u010di\u0107.<\/p>\n

While the loss itself was crushing, it was even more heartbreaking because it felt like the Big Three\u2019s best opportunity to secure another title. Watching Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen go to war every night was a wonderful way to spend a childhood, and I\u2019m forever grateful for those memories. At the same time, the era left me craving more.<\/p>\n

That group had the talent to win a second. While the era will always be celebrated, it also carries the caveat that, no, they couldn\u2019t do it again. It was ultimately a success, but it wasn\u2019t a roaring success.<\/p>\n

\"LOS<\/a><\/p>\n

LOS ANGELES – JUNE 15: Glen Davis #11, Kevin Garnett #5, Rajon Rondo #9, Ray Allen #20, and Paul Pierce #34 of the Boston Celtics head to the bench against the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Six of the 2010 NBA Finals on June 15, 2010 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and\/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2010 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein\/NBAE via Getty Images) NBAE via Getty Images<\/p>\n

From my perspective, the Jays era<\/a> should be viewed through a similar prism. Should Jaylen Brown<\/a> and Jayson Tatum<\/a> be praised and appreciated for their efforts side-by-side and officially enter the pantheon of Celtics greats? Absolutely.<\/p>\n

At the same time, you can\u2019t help but wonder if this era was truly maximized. That 2022 Warriors series was there for the taking. They were almost ready, but they weren\u2019t quite ready.<\/p>\n

Of course, there are some differences. The Jays were fully homegrown, whereas the Big Three was two-thirds acquired. The Big Three and Co. let one slip away after the title they won, while the Jays and Co. did so beforehand. And yes, Tatum is still the star of the franchise and may end up getting another at some point.<\/p>\n

But it won\u2019t be with Brown. It\u2019s just \u201cthe Jay\u201d now.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a tough reality to accept. These two gave everything they had together. They accomplished their mission, but it still felt like it wasn\u2019t enough. In a weird way, they actually raised the bar so high for themselves that anything less than multiple championships felt like a disappointment.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s extremely difficult to win a second title in today\u2019s NBA. The league is structured to produce parity, and it\u2019s not a coincidence that there have been eight consecutive different champions.<\/p>\n

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton couldn\u2019t win a second in Milwaukee. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray haven\u2019t gotten a second in Denver. It won\u2019t be easy for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams to capture a second in Oklahoma City.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s all true, but you can\u2019t help but wonder if Brown and Tatum reached their full potential as a duo. Tatum\u2019s Achilles injury deprived them of finishing one season in their primes together and starting another. It created more friction and prevented them from thriving as the elder statesmen of a team.<\/p>\n

It felt like if they had the right pieces around them, they could still contend for the foreseeable future and maybe, just maybe, get over the hump again.<\/p>\n

As human beings, we grow accustomed to following certain patterns without consciously thinking about what we\u2019re doing. We go to the gym, to work and to the supermarket. We eat dinner, talk about our day, then we sit down together and watch the Jays hoop.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a real bummer that\u2019s no longer part of our routine. While Brown was ultimately viewed in a largely positive light here, it felt like he was under-appreciated throughout his Celtics career.<\/p>\n

In a franchise full of all-time greats, he\u2019s one of them. He deserved more respect than he got, as an elite two-way player, a voice of reason and a fixture in the community who molded hundreds of young lives.<\/p>\n

Now that he\u2019s gone, I hope fans appreciate just how much heart, guts and 7uice he poured into the city. This was his city. It became his home. We became his people.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, after one Shams Charania tweet, it\u2019s time for change. We don\u2019t like change. We like stability, structure and familiarity, and Brown provided exactly that for a decade.<\/p>\n

No one can take 2024 away, but it felt like there was more unfinished business to tend to. We\u2019ll never know what would have happened, but we\u2019ll always have the memories.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"If you\u2019ve followed the Celtics closely over some portion of the last 40 years, there\u2019s a strong chance…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":777842,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3766],"tags":[7,45,75,65415,3798,46,1206,6,53350],"class_list":["post-777841","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boston-celtics","tag-basketball","tag-boston","tag-boston-celtics","tag-boston-celtics-discussion","tag-bostonceltics","tag-celtics","tag-celtics-analysis","tag-nba","tag-nba-news-and-analysis"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116860999946818344","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/777841","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=777841"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/777841\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/777842"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=777841"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=777841"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=777841"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}