Both young stars seemed to sense the urgency. The Celtics had been patient with them, even as fans and media had not. But eventually, they both knew that patience would wane. Brown picked up the phone and suggested they work out together. “We’d never really been in the gym [during the summer] together,” Tatum told ESPN. “Maybe socially, but this was really just showing the maturation of us both, and just growing up.” Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell helped arrange the workouts. Tatum’s trainer, Drew Hanlen, ran them. Celtics great Paul Pierce lifted weights with them and sat in the stands at Harvard Westlake High School in Studio City, California, as the two pushed each other and cemented a bond that carried through one of the most dominant seasons in NBA history — one that ended Monday night with the franchise’s 18th NBA title with a 106-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals. -via ESPN / June 18, 2024