The Philadelphia 76ers fell 123-101 to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, the first time former teammates Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum have played against each other since a trade ended their partnership in Boston.
Fox News reported that the bad blood between the two former Celtics resurfaced immediately before tip-off when Tatum approached and tapped Brown on the chest to say hello. According to the same reporting, Brown offered absolute zero back, keeping his eyes locked dead ahead and walking past Tatum without offering a dap.
The frostiness stems from a confrontation last June at a dinner table in France. ESPN insider Shams Charania reported that Brown confronted Tatum about their future in Boston after discovering that Celtics brass had placed him on the trade table during unsuccessful pursuits of Giannis Antetokounmpo, who ultimately landed with the Miami Heat.
Fox News reported that Boston traded Brown to Philadelphia days after that European sit-down, effectively halting all communication as Tatum’s subsequent calls and texts went unanswered.
When asked before Tuesday’s game if he planned to clear the air, Brown told reporters, “There’s nothing to talk about.” After the final buzzer, Brown hugged several former teammates but left the floor without speaking to Tatum.
The matchup yielded 13 points for Brown against his former team, while Tatum contributed 21 points on 8-for-17 shooting. The dynamic between the pair has drawn intense scrutiny since Tatum claimed in a video last month that the trade caught him off guard, a comment Brown countered with a blue cap emoji on Instagram.
While Tatum insisted to reporters that no personal animosity exists between them, stating, “This ain’t no f—ing Shaq and Kobe. There’s no beef,” Brown offered a different spin on camera. According to Fox News, Brown remarked, “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.”
Fox News noted that both players were selected third overall in consecutive drafts—Brown in 2016 and Tatum in 2017—helping lead the franchise to five conference finals, two NBA Finals appearances, and the 2024 NBA championship before debates over franchise ownership and individual accolades, including Tatum’s First Team All-NBA nods and Brown’s 2024 Eastern Conference Finals and Finals MVP awards, reshaped the roster.
