Philadelphia 76ers forward Jaylen Brown said he is unsure whether he will be emotional when he faces his former team, the Boston Celtics, on Tuesday night. He also said he has no interest in repairing his rift with former co-star Jayson Tatum.
Brown spoke after the Sixers’ 127-121 win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, in which he scored 29 points. He said he has not spoken to or seen Tatum since the Celtics traded Brown during the offseason, and he has no plans to talk to Tatum when the Sixers host Boston.
“It’s nothing to talk about. I mean, he’s on his side, I’m on my side,” Brown said. “Just playing basketball. Both of us are trying to win, so it’s nothing to talk about. Just check the ball up.”
A Partnership That Ended in a Trade
Brown and Tatum played together in Boston for nine seasons. Both were No. 3 overall picks, Brown in 2016 and Tatum a year later. Together, they guided the Celtics to five Eastern Conference finals appearances and two trips to the NBA Finals, and they won a championship over the Dallas Mavericks in 2024. Throughout their time together, critics questioned whether they fit, but the pair consistently defended their relationship and their belief that they could play together. Their 2024 title proved them right and gave Boston its first championship since 2009.
Two years later, the Celtics traded Brown to the Sixers for Paul George, two first-round picks (2028 and 2031) and two second-round selections (2028 and 2030). The trade appears to have ended whatever relationship the former teammates had.
Social Media Exchange
Last month, Brown stirred debate on social media when he posted a blue hat emoji on Instagram. The emoji represents a “cap,” slang for lying. His post responded to a video in which Tatum, on his YouTube channel, said he was “just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world” by Brown’s trade.
A day later, Tatum addressed the situation directly. “There’s no beef. It’s not about that. It should be more praise,” Tatum said. “I understand drama gets clicks and views, but I’m not really into that. I’m not blaming everybody for how they feel. Everybody is entitled to their own feelings, and we all go through different things in our lives.”
Two days later, Brown offered a different take. He insisted there was “no beef” between them, but he added that there “might be a little lamb chops and some gravy,” a phrase he had used before to describe the tension. He also repeated that Tatum had a “hell of a PR team.” Brown added, “He should stay ready at all times.”
Tuesday’s Matchup
The game on Tuesday will mark the first time these two face each other since the trade, and it pits the top two teams in the Eastern Conference against one another. The Sixers are 9-2, and the Celtics are 7-2.
Brown said he does not yet know how he will feel once the game begins. “We’ll see how I feel when we get out there, but as of now, I got no emotion towards anything,” Brown said. “So I’m just ready to go.”