Who won NBA Finals MVP? Debate centers around Boston Celtics' Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum
James Olson
Updated on April 03, 2026
There is no debate about who won the 2024 NBA Finals, as the Boston Celtics dominated the Dallas Mavericks on their way to a dominant series win in five games.
But there is a debate about who should have been the NBA Finals MVP.
Jaylen Brown took home the award for the Celtics after receiving seven of the 11 votes from the media panel that voted for the award, while Jayson Tatum received the other four votes.
Both were deserving, as Brown averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game and Tatum averaged 22.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game.
Did the panel get it right? Many were not quite so sure, questioning Brown's selection over Tatum on social media.
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Boston Celtics forward-guard Jaylen Brown received seven of the 11 votes for #NBAFinals MVP from a media panel covering the series. Celtics forward Jayson Tatum received the other four votes.
Complete voting results ⬇️
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) June 18, 2024
How social media reacted to Jaylen Brown over Jayson Tatum in NBA Finals MVP voting:
Omg Jaylen Brown what a year love u little bro from one finals MVP to Another wow
— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) June 18, 2024
Jayson Tatum is the first player to lead an NBA champion in playoff scoring, rebounds and assists and NOT win Finals MVP since the award exists.
Larry Bird: 1984
Hakeem Olajuwon: 1994
Tim Duncan: 2003
LeBron: 2012, 2013 and 2016
Nikola Jokic: 2023All those won Finals MVP.
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) June 18, 2024
Has a player ever led the winning team in PPG, RPG, AND APG and not gotten Finals MVP? The agenda against Jayson Tatum is WILD.
— Ben (@HowUBenFeller) June 18, 2024
Give Jayson Tatum his Finals MVP trophy. He deserves it. Don’t screw him.
— Unbiased Ev (@DoubleVodkaDon) June 18, 2024
Jaylen Brown in The Finals: 20.8 ppg, 5.4 rbp, 5 apg.
Jayson Tatum in The Finals: 22.2 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 7.2 apg.
Tatum scored more points, grabbed more rebounds and dished more assists. Really not seeing how he isn’t Finals MVP.
— Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) June 18, 2024
This is the first time in NBA finals history that someone led the winning team in:
Points
Rebounds
AssistsAnd did NOT win Finals MVP👀
— Freeze (@freezesports1) June 18, 2024
A lot of people are pointing out how Jayson Tatum got snubbed twice. First for ECF MVP then for Finals MVP.
Despite being one of the few players ever to lead his team in pts, reb and assists.. he didn't get either MVP award
They point to his fg % except, browns was hardly any…
— CelticsForum (@CelticsForum0) June 18, 2024
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How Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown reacted to the NBA Finals MVP vote:
Tatum was seen as the anchor of this Celtics team for so long, but now Brown, who signed a massive 5-year extension worth more than $300 million in July of 2023, seems to be right with Tatum as Boston's leader.
There doesn't seem to be a controversy, however, over the voting from Brown and Tatum, who praised each other in their postgame comments about the NBA MVP award.
Brown praised Tatum for his "selflessness" after the game, while Tatum said he was "extremely happy" for Brown and that "I need him through this journey and he needs me."
Unprompted, Jaylen Brown praises Tatum and says the Finals MVP could have gone to him:
“Jayson, I can't talk enough about his selflessness. I can't talk enough about his attitude. It's just how he approached not just this series or the Finals but just the playoffs in general.”
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzellNBA) June 18, 2024
Tatum on Jaylen Brown winning NBA Finals MVP:
“I’m extremely happy for him.X. The main goal for us was to win a championship. We didn’t care who got Finals MVP. I need him through this journey and he needs me. It was great to see him have that moment and share that with him.”
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) June 18, 2024
Do you think the media panel got the NBA MVP right?
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: NBA Finals MVP controversy: Celtics' Jaylen Brown wins vs Jayson Tatum
