It seems like everybody has an opinion on the relationship between Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum and his former star teammate Jaylen Brown. The C's trading Brown to the rival Philadelphia 76ers exacerbated those conversations, resulting in many NBA pundits hypothesizing that the two perennial All-Stars had a rocky relationship in Beantown. But, what do some of the people that actually know them say of their on-court and off-court partnership?
According to former Celtics forward Grant Williams, who played alongside Tatum and Brown for four seasons, there is no secret beef between his old teammates. During a recent interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio, Williams argued that a lot of the "drama" surrounding Tatum and Brown is manufactured by the national
media in order to create a story. The current Charlotte Hornet explained that Tatum and Brown made one another better while playing together.
Former Celtic Grant Williams on the relationship between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown:
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) August 5, 2026
“You can bring the best out of someone else beside you. And I think that’s what it was for those two, that they had respect for one another, they enjoyed being around one another when they’re…
"You can bring the best out of someone else beside you," Williams began. "And I think that's what it was for those two, that they had respect for one another, they enjoyed being around one another when they're on the court, as well as they didn't have any disdain for one another off the floor."
Since Brown's trade to Philly, the Internet has read into every public appearance this offseason, from Tatum supposedly taking subliminal shots at Brown during a summer camp to Brown allegedly sniping at Tatum on stream.
However, Williams doesn't agree with the interpretation of these comments.
"That's something I can just vividly say is that I don't think those guys disliked each other at all," he stated.
This isn't the first time Williams has defended Tatum and Brown in the media, and it might not be the last. As for the two players most responsible for bringing the C's a championship in 2024, they'll meet during the regular season at TD Garden in a game that will surely air on primetime — and maybe even be the first contest of the season.
Everybody will be hyper analyzing their interactions and debating what they mean, but nobody can debate what they accomplished while sharing the parquet floor.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Grant Williams sets record straight on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown Celtics narratives
