Jayson Tatum broke his silence on the Jaylen Brown blockbuster Tuesday, calling the abrupt end to their nine-year partnership “weird” during a public appearance in Newton.
The Boston Celtics shipped Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George, leaving Tatum to process the exit of his nine-year co-star who helped deliver the franchise’s 2024 championship.
Tatum’s comments came Tuesday during an hour-long conversation with veteran reporter Howard Bryant at the Newton Community Stage promotional event for his new children’s book. The sit-down, built around Tatum’s fatherhood and his recovery from a ruptured Achilles tendon, turned toward the trade once questions from the audience arrived.
Jayson Tatum Calls Jaylen Brown ‘Weird’
GettyJaylen Brown earlier addressed his stunning Celtics trade, saying he felt a “lack of respect” from Boston while discussing his move to the 76ers.
“To be honest, weird. It’s weird,” Tatum said, as quoted by CelticsBlog. “You play on a team with a guy for nine years. I was fortunate enough to go to the Finals with him twice, and win a championship, and push each other to be the players that we are today.”
Tatum framed the split as an unavoidable byproduct of the business he works in, one that strips away the illusion of permanence no matter how deep the bond runs.
“The NBA is an incredible business. It’s an incredible job. But there are some downsides to the business and moments like this, where you just kind of feel like you’re going to be on the team with somebody, because that’s all you know,” Tatum said, per Noa Dalzell of CelticsBlog. “And then it’s just like, one day you find out that they’re no longer on your team anymore.”
Tatum’s remarks arrived days after he posted an emotional Instagram farewell to Brown, writing that he was “forever grateful for all that we accomplished” across nine seasons together, from early playoff exits to the title run. He closed that message by wishing Brown well in Philadelphia and telling him to “continue to be special.”
The trade itself landed as a jolt across the league. Brown had fielded months of speculation about his future in Boston, but a deal centered on George still caught much of the league off guard, according to BasketNews.
Boston Celtics Move Forward Without Jaylen Brown
GettyBrad Stevens explained his reasoning behind the Jaylen Brown trade at a Monday press conference.
Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens confirmed Monday that Tatum had no input in the decision to move Brown, describing a strict policy of keeping players out of personnel calls involving their teammates.
“I have a real hard-and-fast rule,” Stevens said. “I don’t ask guys about other guys.”
Tatum and Brown reached five Eastern Conference Finals and two NBA Finals together, capturing the 2024 title before the abrupt split. Tatum called the ending bittersweet rather than diminishing what came before it.
“It’s tough. But it just makes you appreciate the moments and time that we had,” Tatum said, quoted by CelticsBlog. “Obviously, it came to an abrupt ending, but it doesn’t mean that it wasn’t super successful.”
George, Mike Conley and Mitchell Robinson have already taken photos in Celtics jerseys at the Auerbach Center, and Tatum said the transition requires balancing loyalty to the past with buy-in for what comes next.
“The tough part is you miss teammates, but then you have new teammates, and you want to welcome those guys and accept them and move forward with them,” Tatum said. “So there is a balance there.”
Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Calls Jaylen Brown Trade ‘Weird’ in New Remarks