Philadelphia 76ers forward Jaylen Brown said he is unsure whether he will feel emotional when he faces his former team, the Boston Celtics, on Tuesday night. He also has no interest in repairing his rift with former co-star Jayson Tatum, whom he once described as part of “lamb chops and gravy.”
Speaking after the Sixers’ 127-121 win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, where he scored 29 points, Brown said he has not spoken to or seen Tatum since the Celtics traded him during the offseason. He added that he has no plans to speak with 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 the championship over the Dallas Mavericks in 2024.
Throughout their time together, critics questioned whether the two could coexist on the court. Brown and Tatum publicly backed each other and insisted they could play together. They proved their point in 2024 by winning the Celtics’ first title since 2009.
Two years later, Boston traded Brown to Philadelphia 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 champion teammates had.
Social Media Tensions Build
Last month, Brown stirred debate on social media when he posted a blue hat emoji on Instagram. The symbol, slang for “cap,” means someone is lying. His post responded to Tatum’s comment in a YouTube video that he was “just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world” by Brown’s trade.
A day later, Tatum pushed back on the idea of a feud. “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 view. He insisted there was “no beef” between them but added that there “might be a little lamb chops and some gravy.” He also repeated that Tatum has a “hell of a PR team,” and said, “He should stay ready at all times.”
Top of the East Showdown
The matchup on Tuesday marks the first time the two will 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, while the Celtics are 7-2.
Brown offered little hint of what he expects emotionally. “We’ll see how I feel when we get out there, but as of now, I got no emotion towards anything,” he said. “So I’m just ready to go.”