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The Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat on their home floor in Game 7 of Eastern Conference finals. Jayson Tatum's mother, Brandy Cole, couldn't contain herself. Cole's Apple Watch, which monitors her vitals, started beeping to alert her of her rising heart rate as Game 7 was in its final moments.
After the Celtics won arguably the biggest game of the East, Brandy Cole shared her thoughts in a post-game interview. She was obviously ecstatic to see her son in the NBA Finals while admitting the road to the final stage was nerve-racking. Tatum's mother said:
"I'm at a loss for words. I'm so excited, so proud of him. It's been a tough playoffs and we probably had the toughest road I've ever seen to get to the Finals. But I'm just so proud of him, so happy for him and it's something he's worked for his whole life so onto the next one. ... He did the hard work."
When asked what it is like as a parent to see their child on the game's biggest stage, Brandy Cole replied:
"It's exciting and I still get nerves. My Apple Watch went off and telling me my heart rate was going up. It's just the ups and downs, but it's exciting and it's something he loves and I love watching him do it."
The Boston Celtics are set to make their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010. The last time they made the NBA Finals, they lost to their rivals, the LA Lakers, in seven games behind the late great Kobe Bryant's performances.
Now the Celtics have a chance to win their 18th title and officially surpass their rivals for the most championships in NBA history.
Jayson Tatum wins inaugural Larry Bird ECFMVP trophy for leading the Boston Celtics to the NBA Finals
Jayson Tatum was the first-ever recipient of the Larry Bird Eastern Conference finals MVP award. The Boston Celtics lifted the first-ever Bob Cousy Eastern Conference Championship trophy. It is only fitting that the inaugural awards went to the Celtics, as Cousy and Bird were both Boston legends.
Jayson Tatum averaged 25.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.1 steals per game in the seven games against Miami. He shot 46.2% from the field including 35.3% from three-point range and made 86% of his free throws.
Tatum is the only player in NBA history to total 400+ points, 100+ rebounds, 100+ assists and 50+ three-pointers made in a single postseason. He won two Game 7s in this playoff run and now faces arguably his toughest matchup yet, the battle-tested Golden State Warriors.
