Jayson Tatum reflected on his nine-year relationship with Jaylen Brown after the Boston Celtics traded Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, emphasizing the success the two forwards shared rather than the circumstances of their separation.
Speaking to The Dan Patrick Show, Tatum was asked about the biggest misconception surrounding his relationship with Brown.
“There’s just so many different narratives and so many different opinions and speculations,” Tatum said. “For me, I love that guy.”
Tatum highlighted the accomplishments he and Brown built together in Boston, where they became the central figures of the Celtics for much of the past decade.
“What we were able to accomplish together in nine years, right? We went to the conference finals five times. We went to the championship twice. We won a championship,” Tatum said. “We’ve shared All-Star games together.”
The Celtics reached the Eastern Conference Finals five times during their partnership and made two NBA Finals appearances, winning the championship in 2024.
Tatum also rejected the idea that the two can be viewed separately when discussing their time in Boston.
“You can’t talk about him without talking about me and vice versa, right?” Tatum said. “The success that we’ve had as just two young kids growing up in this league and really just pushing each other.”
Brown was traded to Philadelphia in July after Boston’s pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo failed to result in a deal. The Celtics received Paul George and multiple future draft assets in return for Brown, who finished sixth in 2025-26 MVP voting after averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in 71 games.
Tatum acknowledged that the business side of the NBA eventually changes even long-running partnerships.
“Unfortunately, the business of basketball is always going to play a part,” he said. “Nobody has ever played together forever.”
Rather than describing Brown’s departure as something to mourn, Tatum said the focus should remain on what they accomplished.
“It’s not like a thing to be sad or upset about. It’s a thing to celebrate, you know, what we were able to do,” Tatum said. “He’s a tremendous person and a player, and I got nothing but respect and wish him the best as he moves forward.”
Tatum was also asked about facing Brown after the Celtics and 76ers meet next season, with LeBron James now also in Philadelphia.
When asked whether he would prefer to guard Brown or James, Tatum initially declined to reveal Boston’s game plan.
“I can’t give away our game plan,” he said.
Pressed for an answer, Tatum explained that the nature of modern NBA defense could lead to him matching up with both players.
“I’ll probably guard everybody at some point,” Tatum said. “The way that we play and the way that the game is played today, you switch and different matchups. So the fans, they’ll get what they want to.”
Tatum enters the 2026-27 season as Boston’s leading returning star after missing most of the previous campaign. The Celtics went 56-26 before losing to Philadelphia in seven games in the first round, while Brown averaged a career-high 28.7 points during the regular season.
