Former Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown ignored ex-teammate Jayson Tatum before, during and after Tuesday night’s game in Philadelphia, as the Celtics beat the 76ers 123-101 in the two players’ first on-court meeting since Brown’s offseason trade.
Seconds before tip-off, Tatum approached Brown and tapped him on the chest in greeting. Brown did not respond, keeping his eyes forward and walking past without acknowledging him. After the final buzzer, Brown embraced several of his former Celtics teammates but left the floor without a word to Tatum.
Asked before the game whether he intended to clear the air with Tatum, Brown said, “There’s nothing to talk about.”
Brown finished with 13 points against his former team. Tatum scored 21 points on 8-for-17 shooting.
A dinner table in France
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the last face-to-face conversation between the two came last June at a dinner in France, shortly after Boston’s trade talks involving Giannis Antetokounmpo fell through. The Bucks ultimately sent Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat, but Celtics executives had floated Brown’s name during those negotiations.
Once Brown learned he was being discussed in trade talks, he confronted Tatum at the dinner to ask directly where Tatum stood on their future together in Boston, Charania reported.
Days later, Boston traded Brown to Philadelphia. Tatum called and texted afterward, but Brown did not respond, according to Charania’s reporting.
Public sparring continues
Last month, Tatum said in a video that the trade caught him off guard. Brown responded on Instagram with a blue cap emoji, a gesture commonly used to accuse someone of lying.
Tatum later told reporters he wanted to put the speculation to rest. “This ain’t no f—ing Shaq and Kobe. There’s no beef,” he said.
Brown pushed back on camera: “I saw that he said it’s no beef and I think he’s right. There’s no beef. Jayson comes from a wonderful family. We’ve accomplished some great things. He’s a hell of a basketball player. He’s got a great PR team. It’s no beef. But it might be a little lambchops and some gravy.”
A partnership built over nearly a decade
Brown was drafted third overall in 2016, and Tatum went third overall the following year. Together they led the Celtics to five conference finals and two NBA Finals appearances, capped by the franchise’s 2024 championship.
Tatum has earned First Team All-NBA recognition, while Brown was named MVP of both the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals. Questions over which player should be regarded as the face of the franchise followed the duo for years before Brown’s trade to Philadelphia ended their on-court partnership.
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