Their first interaction as opponents was very brief — if not entirely cold or indifferent.
In Philadelphia 76ers star Jaylen Brown’s first game against the Boston Celtics, he seemingly ignored a quick greeting from former teammate Jayson Tatum, with whom he played for nine seasons.
The relationship between Brown and Tatum has cooled
after the Celtics opted to move on from Brown, culminating in the July trade that sent Brown to the Sixers.The two have talked publicly about their relationship and have indicated that they have not communicated since the deal.
During the moments right before tip-off Tuesday, Nov. 10, Tatum approached Brown and tapped Brown once on the right arm and twice on his chest as he walked past him. Brown, who was spinning the basketball
on his finger, barely acknowledged Tatum and did not reciprocate the greeting.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum before tipoff.
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 11, 2026
(📺 NBC) pic.twitter.com/gs8XPSPQZT
As soon as the game tipped off, Brown was matched up guarding Tatum, and Tatum eventually forced Brown into a turnover on the other end when he swatted the ball off Brown’s leg; there was significant contact on the play, but Tatum was not called for a foul.
Seconds later, after Brown had argued with officials, he committed a foul on Tatum.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jaylen Brown appears to blow off Jayson Tatum's greeting before Celtics-76ers
