Jaylen Brown On Playing Celtics: ‘Nothing to Talk About’
Former Celtics teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum face off Tuesday after Brown's controversial trade to the 76ers. Both stars are thriving in their new roles.
Black News 
Jaylen Brown doesn’t expect any fireworks at this first game against the Celtics on Tuesday night at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Except on the court, as the two teams vie for supremacy in the Eastern Conference.
Both teams have prospered since the July trade that sent Brown to the 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks (2028, 2031) and two second-round picks (2028, 2030). Philadelphia is currently 9-2; the Celtics are 8-2. And both players have as well.
Tatum’s stat line through 10 games is 27.9 points, 8 assists, 6.3 rebounds per game, shooting 43.3% from the field. Brown, on the Sixers’ Dream Team with LeBron James and Tyrese Maxey, is averaging 21.6 points and 6.7 rebounds. He had 29 points and 7 rebounds Sunday against Chicago, and the trio poured in 78 points between them in the win.
Tatum, 28, and Brown, 30, played nine seasons together in Boston, winning the chip in 2024 when Brown was named the Finals MVP. Brown says he never requested a trade. Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens cited collective-bargaining restrictions when making the unpopular move.
“When I looked at our team and where the league was heading, looked at the way that we’ve finished the last couple years and at the unbelievable way we’ve played in the regular season in the last couple years, the path looked a little bit more challenging to me,” Stevens said at a press conference on July 6.
He added, “I might be wrong. I’m not going to stand up here and be defensive about that, but the path looked a little bit more challenging, with 70% of our cap and such a high percent of our usage tied into two players.”
Tatum missed most of last season with a torn Achilles, returned late, and Boston lost in the first round to the Sixers. Brown’s issue with Tatum seems to be that he believes Tatum knew about the trade beforehand.
“It’s nothing to talk about. I mean, he’s on his side, I’m on my side,” Brown said after the Sixers 127-121 victory in Chicago on Sunday. “Just playing basketball. Both of us are trying to win, so nothing to talk about. Just check the ball up.”
Brown added that he has “no emotion towards anything. We’ll see how I feel when we get out there.”
The former teammates have been scrutinized on every public gesture since the trade. On Oct. 22, Tatum posted a YouTube video saying that ESPN insider Shams Charania told him about the trade after a pickup game in Las Vegas. Tatum said he was “just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world.”
The next day, Brown posted a blue cap emoji on the Instagram clip of Tatum’s video, basically saying that Tatum wasn’t being truthful.
Tatum then responded, saying he has no animosity toward Brown. “Ain’t no f—-Shaq and Kobe. There’s no beef. I understand that don’t necessarily sell. The drama gets clicks and views. All of y’all saw us grow up and (saw) everything that we accomplished. And I don’t want that to be in the rearview of what’s being talked about when it pertains to us.”
He added, “How many people played in this league and never played in the Finals? We went twice and won a championship. It should be more about that.”
Brown countered, telling the media: “There’s no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and some gravy. He should stay ready at all times.”
If any drama pops off, you can see it live on NBC and Peacock on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. EST.
Watch former teammates Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady break down the emotions behind the game below:
