It’s been weeks since the Boston Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, yet the subject continues to be a hot topic.
A large part of the discussion surrounding Brown has been his off-court relationship with Jayson Tatum. Questions regarding their friendship have persisted long after the trade.
During a recent discussion with Josue Pavon of ClutchPoints, Cedric Maxwell recalled Tatum’s return from injury against the Dallas Mavericks on March 6. The Celtics’ legend shared that he informed Brown that Tatum’s return was a compliment about how well he’d led the team throughout the season.
“I remember walking to Brown the first game that Tatum came back,” Maxwell recalled. “And before the game started, I walked up to him and said, ‘You’re the reason why Tatum came back.’ Because if Brown had not led this team to win so many games, Tatum probably would have been out for the entire year. I think it accelerated his comeback in the fact that now, OK, I’m coming back to play for something.”
At the time of Tatum’s return, a significant portion of fans wondered how the duo would co-exist midway through a season where Brown had been the focal point of the offense. Boston went 16-5 over 21 games they played with Tatum back in the rotation.
Brown Admits Playing In Boston Brings Pressure
When speaking at his 76ers introductory news conference on Thursday, August 6, Brown discussed the pressures that come with playing for the Celtics.
“I played in Boston for the last 10 years — pressure is high there. It’s Titletown, they expect to win every single year, and they’re always looking for someone to blame,” Brown said. “Some of those years, it was me, so I’ve been through that. All I come with is my work ethic, my mentality, impact on winning, and that’s just my approach.”
Despite those pressures, Brown and Tatum enjoyed a significant and sustained period of success together with the Celtics. The duo led the franchise to a championship in 2024.
Brown And Tatum Haven’t Spoke Since The Trade
Unfortunately for Celtics fans hoping to put discussions regarding Tatum and Brown’s relationship behind them, it appears that chatter will rumble on for a little while longer. When speaking at his introductory news conference, Brown revealed that he hadn’t spoken with Tatum since the trade.
“Not really,” Brown said when asked.
However, Brown did move to quickly dispel any thoughts of a rift between the duo, at least on his side of things.
“We won a championship together, so, anybody that you win a championship [with], you would think, like, that’s what a brotherhood or a lifelong legacy would entail,” Brown said. “Obviously, there’s ups and downs in any type of relationship, but on my end, there’s nothing but respect. Besides when he plays the Sixers, I hope he does well. But other than that, everything for me is just based on respect.”
Now that Brown has been introduced as a member of the Sixers, Celtics fans can begin to move on. There’s no doubt that trading Brown stung a large contingent of the fanbase. Yet, with the new season just a few months away, the fan base will likely turn its attention to the current roster and the year ahead.
Celtics Legend Shares New Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum Revelation