When the Philadelphia 76ers host the Boston Celtics on Tuesday evening, it is a reunion of sorts between Jaylen Brown and his former teammates.
After the Celtics traded the 2024 NBA Finals MVP to the Philadelphia 76ers during the offseason, the relationship between Brown and the team that drafted him in 2016 is best described as rocky. When asked about whether or not he has spoken to Boston star Jayson Tatum since the blockbuster, he confirmed that he still has not. Tatum said he called and texted after the trade.
He added that he does not plan to chat with Tatum because he feels there is "nothing" for them to talk about. According to Brown, they are simply playing against each other and that's all there is to it.
Jaylen Brown on facing Boston
for the first time in the regular season on Tuesday, the emotions of processing the trade over the last few months, and he adds he hasn’t talked with Jayson Tatum. pic.twitter.com/ZoESrkaPZT
— Chris Hine (@ChristopherHine) November 8, 2026
Jay King reported that there was "no conflict" between Brown and Tatum last season. Celtics guard Derrick White also explained that tension wasn't visible between the parties (via The Athletic):
“I didn’t feel any (tension) ... Those are two guys that wanted to win. Two guys that are really talented that can do a lot of different things and competed at that level together. I didn’t think there were any problems. No beef.”
Tatum said there is no animosity or beef and he wishes Brown no ill will. Brown, however, offered a contrasting view. He said that while there is no beef, there may be some "lamb chops and gravy" with them.
Evan Turner, who was an assistant coach on the Celtics in 2020-21, also said there is no "foundational beef" between Brown and Tatum. Jeff Teague, who played alongside the two in Boston that same season, argued they had "competitive beef" and tension but it wasn't bad.
No matter which side remembers or describes it more accurately, Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla has his own reflections now that the relationship has deteriorated (via Boston Globe):
“It doesn’t necessarily make you sad. I think that’s just kind of the nature of the space that we’re in,” Mazzulla said. “I think you just have a choice to decide what we’re going to focus on. And like I said, we make this place for every Celtic. Once a Celtic, always a Celtic. Once you’ve left this place better than you found it, you cannot forget that. You have a gratitude and a perspective of that. And then we focus on the present moment.”
But for others, it's hard to reflect on the current status of their relationship without getting at least a little sad.
Blake Griffin, who played with Brown and Tatum on the Celtics in 2022-23, shared his perspective (via NBA on Prime):
"I just feel a little bit disappointed, and I think watching that clip and hearing Jayson talk, you can hear the disappointment in his voice… Being their teammate, being inside the locker room, I know JT cares about him ... Both of them should keep in perspective what they've accomplished and not be short-sighted about what has happened over the offseason. Their relationship is special. It's not often guys have those types of careers and win a championship for a storied franchise like Boston."
Assuming that Griffin is right that Tatum cares about Brown, and considering Tatum says he wishes there was more praise involved when discussing their accomplishments, it's certainly disappointing that these two aren't on better terms.
Houston Rockets guard Marcus Smart, who played alongside both players for many years, also expressed his sadness about the players (via Boston Globe):
“I do feel bad for those guys, my brothers, man. Been through a lot of wars, battles with them. I know the work they both put in and it’s unfortunate that it’s come to this because those are two really good guys."
Just as Griffin and Smart pointed out, it's unfortunate the two haven't reconciled. But the transaction was still fairly recent and perhaps it's possible for some type of more positive relationship to exist for them in the future.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Jaylen Brown has ‘nothing’ to talk to Jayson Tatum about and that's sad
