C's are Tatum and Brown's team: Here's how we got here originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
There's no question about it: The Boston Celtics are Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown's team going forward.
The two young stars -- nicknamed "Fire & Ice" -- have become the Celtics' most important players entering the 2020-21 season. Not only are the 22-year-old Tatum and 24-year-old Brown Boston's most talented players, they've also become true leaders both on and off the court.
So how did we get here?
It started in June 2013, when Danny Ainge traded away Celtics greats Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett for a bundle of Brooklyn Nets draft picks. Those selections included first-rounders in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2018.
James Young was taken with the '14 first-round pick and while he didn't pan out, Brown was taken two years later at No. 3 overall. Tatum arrived in 2017 when the C's traded down from No. 1 overall to No. 3 and chose the Duke standout over coveted prospect Markelle Fultz.
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Since then, there have been plenty of ups and downs for both Tatum and Brown. The Kyrie Irving era didn't go as planned, and Gordon Hayward's Boston tenure came to an unceremonious end this offseason.
Now, the fate of the Celtics lies in Tatum and Brown's hands.
NBC Sports Boston's Celtics insider Chris Forsberg breaks down the duo's ascension in the video essay above.
