Top Teams Clash in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA — Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, once anchors of an NBA championship team in Boston, have had no time to talk since the trade that ended their working relationship. The former Celtics teammates do not plan to make small talk when Boston visits Philadelphia on Tuesday night for the first matchup between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference.
"There's nothing to talk about," Brown said Sunday in Chicago. "He's on his side; I'm on my side. Both of us are trying to win."
The game marks the first meeting between the league's leading contenders since the roster shakeup that reshaped the conference landscape. The 76ers, with Brown and LeBron James aboard, are 9-2 and tied with the Lakers for the best record in the NBA. The Celtics hold the second-best record in the East at 8-2.
"I think it should be fun," Brown said. "Two heavyweights in the East. Let's get it."
Trade Fallout and Public Statements
The tension stems from a trade in July that sent Brown to the rival 76ers for Paul George and draft picks, ending a partnership that helped carry the Celtics to the 2024 NBA title. The move stunned the NBA when Boston sent Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP and a five-time All-Star, to Philadelphia after including him in trade talks with Milwaukee when Giannis Antetokounmpo was on the market.
When Brown got the call that Boston had traded him, he threw his phone across the room. The relationship evolved since the Celtics chose Tatum as the player they wanted to build around after trading Brown in a move to cut one of the two players with $300 million contracts from the payroll.
Tatum stated Sunday in Milwaukee that the game is "nothing more than Celtics versus Sixers" and he is "not able to tell the future" regarding potential chitchat. He said, "I don't have any animosity or beef, or ill will towards him," noting that the narrative has turned into drama rather than focusing on what they accomplished together.
Disputes Over Narratives and Reactions
Brown took issue with Tatum saying in a video on his YouTube channel that he was "just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world" by Brown’s trade to Philadelphia. Brown responded on his Instagram account with a baseball cap emoji, using "Cap" as slang for something that is not true.
Brown said last month there was "no beef" between himself and Tatum, adding, "There might be a little lamb chops and some gravy... He should stay ready at all times." Tatum sighed in October before expressing frustrations with the situation for several minutes.
Statistical Context and Recovery
The trade occurred during a period of significant physical recovery for Tatum, who missed most of last season while recovering from an Achilles tendon tear that happened during the 2025 playoffs. Meanwhile, Brown wound up with career-best averages of 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.1 assists in his new role.
As the teams prepare for Tuesday's showdown, the focus remains on the on-court performance rather than the off-court silence. Brown reiterated that there is "nothing to talk about" beyond the competitive nature of the game, emphasizing that both players are focused solely on winning their respective sides.