Moments after Game 5’s buzzer, Jason Tatum seemed speechless. The euphoria of winning a championship had overcome his body. He told ESPN’s Lisa Salters how surreal it felt, then muttered three simple words, “we did it,” and when he couldn't think of anything else, he yelled them again. “WE DID IT!”
Jaylen Brown was tongue-tied, too. Both times that he won Conference Finals MVP and Finals MVP, Brown was at a loss for words in the biggest moment of his young career.
But when the confetti finally settled, they both struck a similar tone. Banner 18 felt like a vindication for them.