Celtics legend doubts Brown: He hasn't reached Tatum's superstar level; the team needs a major rebuild.

On August 9, 2025, 97-year-old Celtics legend Bob Cousy expressed his concerns that if Jaylen Brown becomes the team's focal point, Boston's future may be in jeopardy. In an interview with the Boston Globe, this Hall of Famer candidly compared Brown's potential to that of Jayson Tatum and explained why he believes the team could head toward a rebuild after losing their top star.

“In my opinion, Jaylen Brown hasn't yet reached the level of a superstar like Jayson Tatum,” Cousy stated. “Can he carry the team on his own? I think the team needs a significant rebuild. Clearly, Jaylen cannot lead them to a championship. Derrick White is a great player who provides stability, but his style isn't suited for being the team's leader.”

Drafted as the third overall pick in 2017, Tatum is undoubtedly the Celtics' number one star—at least until he suffered a devastating Achilles injury in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Tatum is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season, and his performance on the court may never return to its former glory.

For Cousy, who won six NBA championships, last season was the Celtics' last best chance to secure another title, but they performed poorly in the series against the Knicks and missed the opportunity.

“I'm not inside the team, so I can't know exactly what happened,” Cousy said. “My impression is that Mazzulla did a decent job and could manage the team. But from my experience, only the strongest teams win in the playoffs. Upsets happen occasionally, but I really can't understand how the Celtics collapsed, especially against the Knicks. And the Knicks' performance in the next round proved they are not true championship contenders.”

At 27, Tatum is still young and has the potential to recover and return to the court, but no one knows when he will be back or how much his performance will change. When he steps on the court again, the Celtics may already be a completely different team, and their standing in the East will become uncertain.

The Celtics can rely on Brown to step up and fill the void left by the team's lost talent. Unfortunately, his ability to lead the team as the core player remains unproven. Last season, Brown averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 4.5 assists, playing a supporting role for the Celtics, and throughout his career, he seems to have adapted well to this role.

If Brown takes control of the team and Tatum's performance declines significantly, the Celtics may be better off making a complete roster adjustment and starting anew. They sent away Pierce and Garnett back in 2013, and that rebuild gave them a head start.

If they take similar actions this summer, it would mark the end of an era in Boston but could also help them build strength for the next one. This team has already won a championship, and if they want to stay ahead in the competition, they need to act now to accumulate more assets for the future.

If Cousy's judgment is accurate, Boston may face a decision sooner than fans expect. The talent of the core Celtics roster is still enough to remain competitive, but without Tatum's dominance on both ends, their margin for error will shrink significantly. Brown might be able to carry the offensive load for a period, but doing so throughout an entire season and in the high-pressure playoffs is a completely different challenge.

This team has undergone such transformations before, sending away Pierce and Garnett at the right moment to reposition for the future. Whether they choose to move forward with Brown as the core or shift toward another rebuild will not only determine the direction for the next few seasons but also affect the trajectory of the team for the next decade. In Cousy's view, the answer may already be quite clear.