Jaylen Brown has made it clear he has no intention of reconnecting with former teammate Jayson Tatum when the Philadelphia 76ers face the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night.
The 30-year-old forward revealed he hasn’t spoken to Tatum since Boston traded him to Philadelphia during the offseason, and doesn’t expect that to change anytime soon.
Speaking after Philadelphia’s 127-121 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, Brown addressed his relationship with his former co-star, according to ESPN.
“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.”
The pair spent nine seasons together in Boston, reaching five Eastern Conference finals, two NBA Finals and winning the championship in 2024.
However, their relationship has appeared increasingly strained since the Celtics sent Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George and four draft picks.
Last month, Brown appeared to question Tatum’s claim that he was surprised by the trade, responding with a blue hat emoji on social media, commonly used to suggest someone is lying.
Tatum subsequently dismissed suggestions of a falling out.
“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.”
Brown later insisted there was also “no beef” from his side, although he suggested there “might be a little lamb chops and some gravy.”
He also claimed Tatum had a “hell of a PR team,” before adding:
“He should stay ready at all times.”
Tuesday’s matchup will mark their first meeting as opponents, with Philadelphia sitting at 9-2 and Boston at 7-2.
Despite the attention surrounding their reunion, Brown insists he isn’t approaching the game with any particular emotion.
“We’ll see how I feel when we get out there, but as of now, I got no emotion towards anything,” Brown said. “So I’m just ready to go.”
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