BOSTON — There have been rings and failures, innuendos, rumors and internet emojis, and finally, a trade that ended the Jayson Tatum–Jaylen Brown partnership in Boston.
Tatum spent most of his postgame news conference Friday night addressing the social media stir that Brown created earlier this week. Brown posted a blue hat — a symbol for “cap,” the slang definition of someone being untruthful — on Instagram in response to Tatum saying in a video on his YouTube channel that he was “just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world” by Brown’s trade to the Philadelphia 76ers this summer.
Asked if he had any response to Brown’s social media comment, Tatum sighed before expressing his frustrations with the entire situation for several minutes.
“I don’t have any animosity or beef or ill will towards him,” Tatum said after the Celtics’ 107-103 win over the New York Knicks in Boston’s home opener. “The frustrating part is since he’s not on the Celtics anymore, the narrative or conversations haven’t been enough about what we accomplished, all the games we won, winning the championship, how we’ve grown together, right?”
Brown was drafted in 2016, Tatum a year later. Together, they helped the Celtics to a Finals win over the Dallas Maverick in 2024 along with another Finals appearance in 2022 and the Eastern Conference finals in five of eight years.
Whenever the Celtics underachieved in the playoffs, there were rumors about their relationship and speculation over whether the Celtics would trade one over the other. At times, the partnership felt awkward, but Tatum believes so much has been sensationalized.
“This ain’t no f—ing Shaq and Kobe,” Tatum said, referring to the highly publicized issues Shaquille O’Neal and the late Kobe Bryant had during their eight years together on the Los Angeles Lakers. “There’s no beef. It’s not about that. It should be more praise. 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.”
Tatum repeatedly pointed out that he’s a father of two, and multiple times he cited a breakdown in communication, saying a conversation shouldn’t be had over social media.
“I reached out to him the day he was traded. I called, I texted,” Tatum said. “I understand people process things differently. At this point in our lives, we’re too old to be having our relationship discussed on the internet. If there’s a conversation to be had, we can definitely have the conversation.
“I welcome that. I’ve always wanted the best for him, wished the best for him. I’ve always publicly said those things.”
Much was made of the 76ers-Celtics preseason matchup in Boston in early October, where it appeared the two didn’t interact during pregame warmups. The two teams meet again Nov. 10 in Philadelphia.
“I’ve seen all these things about ‘Get your popcorn ready when they play’ — like this ain’t no f—ing boxing match, it’s basketball,” Tatum said. “I hate the conversation, the narrative around it. There’s not enough communication, and a conversation will solve or put out a lot of fires.”
Both players made All-Star teams and had multiple All-NBA selections. Brown was named Finals MVP in 2024 by a 7-4 margin in voting, and Tatum went to the Olympic Games that summer in France — although he didn’t play much — while Brown didn’t.
Tatum’s 36 points, nine rebounds and seven assists Friday marked his best game since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals two years ago against the Knicks, when he scored 42 before rupturing his right Achilles, an injury that forced him to miss most of last season.
With Tatum out, Brown helped carry the Celtics to 56 wins and the No. 2 seed in the East. Tatum returned for the final 16 regular-season contests and played in six games in Boston’s first-round series against Philadelphia, missing Game 7 with left knee stiffness.
Despite the loss, Brown called it the most fun he has had in a season. He was then traded to the 76ers in a July blockbuster that ended his 10-year tenure in Boston and brought Paul George to the Celtics.
It’s been one thing after another since, and Tatum hopes direct contact can put an end to the speculation.
“Just a conversation. Not a bad one or anything like that,” Tatum said. “Right, wrong, you can understand the other side. It’s not done enough, especially in our business.”
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
