Carmelo Anthony Urges Tatum to Defer to Brown When Returning from Injury

NBA legend believes Celtics star Tatum must sacrifice his role for team success.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Former NBA star Carmelo Anthony has called on Celtics forward Jayson Tatum to defer to his teammate Jaylen Brown when Tatum returns from injury. Anthony believes Tatum needs to put aside his ego and let Brown, who has been an MVP candidate this season, continue to lead the team's offense.

Why it matters

The Celtics have been one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference this season, largely due to Brown's breakout performance. As Tatum prepares to return, there are questions about how the two stars will coexist and whether Tatum will be willing to take a backseat to Brown's leadership.

The details

In a recent episode of his podcast, Anthony stated that Tatum 'has to be very mature about this situation' and 'put his pride and ego aside' in order to allow Brown to 'steer the ship.' Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix echoed a similar sentiment, saying Tatum knows he's 'stepping onto Jaylen Brown's team' and will have to 'find a way to fit into that.' Brown has been averaging 28.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 5 assists per game this season, while Tatum has put up 26.8 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists per game.

  • Jayson Tatum is set to return to the Celtics' lineup on Friday against the Mavericks.

The players

Carmelo Anthony

A former NBA player and current NBA on NBC studio analyst.

Jayson Tatum

A star forward for the Boston Celtics who is returning from injury.

Jaylen Brown

An All-Star forward for the Boston Celtics who has been leading the team in Tatum's absence.

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What they’re saying

“For so long JB has sacrificed everything. Now it's like JT, what are you going to sacrifice? But now I held the fort down for you and the whole organization. JT has to be very mature about this situation. It's no ego, no pride. We got a chance to come back and win a championship. So let me just put my pride and ego aside for these next 3 months and continue to let JB steer the ship.”

— Carmelo Anthony, NBA Hall-of-Famer and NBA on NBC studio analyst (7 PM in Brooklyn)

“I think [Jayson] Tatum knows coming back he's stepping onto Jaylen Brown's team. Brown is a top five, top six MVP candidate this year. He has put this team on his back offensively. And Tatum's gonna have to find a way to fit into that.”

— Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated writer (Sports Illustrated)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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