At NBA All-Star Weekend, the spotlight naturally falls on the league’s biggest stars.

For Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, it’s an opportunity to look back on their journeys, leadership roles, and impact beyond the game. Speaking candidly at All-Star Media Day ahead of Sunday’s All-Star Game in San Francisco, the duo discussed everything from their personal growth to their ambitions for the future, both on and off the court.

Brown, the longest-tenured Celtic, has spoken multiple times this year about his growing leadership role on the team. Though the team doesn’t have an official hierarchy, he knows his role as a leader is clear.

“I’ve been here for the longest,” he said. “Even though we don’t necessarily have it written down, the team moves to the things that me and Jayson do. Even though we have a lot of great players, I feel like my team relies on me to be the leader, the vocal leader. I’d say I’ve taken that role defensively, being the head of the snake, taking on those matchups. My team feeds off of that.”

For Tatum, now in his eighth season, the transition from young star to veteran presence has been undeniable.

“I know I’m still young, but eight years in the league, played a lot of basketball, played a lot of playoff games,” he said. “I’m not one of the old heads, but I’m getting to the point where some of the younger guys look up to me. They probably watched me in high school. So, it’s a smooth transition.”

As Brown and Tatum have grown as players, they’ve gained some wisdom over the years. While answering a young reporter, Brown spoke about the importance of emotional control and clarity.

“Your emotions could get in the way of a game sometimes. Like, you want to have clarity to be able to read every play. It’s the same thing in life. A coach may say something, a referee might say something, you might miss a shot, and it can affect your emotions. And that affects your decision-making. You want to be clear. The same applies in life, sometimes emotions can get in the way of making the right decisions.”

Tatum echoed similar sentiments about staying present.

“I never take it for granted,” he said. “I just always try to remember the kid in St. Louis, myself, that dreamed about being in the NBA. Whether it’s a League Pass game or a primetime TV game, just being grateful that I get to live out my dream.”

Off the court, both players are deeply invested in their impact beyond basketball. Brown views his as a higher purpose and has enjoyed doing it his way.

“I think that’s why I was born,” he said. “I use my platform to try to bring light to a lot of different things and situations, to get people to think differently, but also provide solutions. A lot of people do basketball camps. I’ve never done a basketball camp. Maybe I’ve done one. But for the most part, I do learning camps. I do two camps for our curriculum, which is STEM or STEAM-based, basically giving exposure to kids from marginalized communities.”

Tatum notably joined the $200 million bid that was lodged to bring a WNBA expansion team to his hometown of St. Louis. He spoke about what he thinks it would bring to the city and how it would change the basketball landscape.

“Just investing in women’s sports, I’m such a big believer in that,” he said. “I have a sister who’s 11, and just understanding how big of an impact that would be for the city of St. Louis. If that was to happen, I would love to be a part of it. And I think it would be big for the city and a bunch of girls that are around my sister’s age and the next generation. So if that was to happen, I would love to be a part of it. And I think it would be big for the city of Saint Louis.”

As the Celtics push toward the postseason, both Brown and Tatum remain focused on the goal of not just winning, but on leaving a lasting impact. Brown acknowledges that each season presents new challenges, but the Celtics are embracing them as they stare down the final stretch of the season.

“People look at change like it’s supposed to be the same all the time,” he said. “New year, new season, new teams. Everything is different. And that’s okay. We adjust, and we’re gearing up, getting ready for the playoffs.”