Jayson Tatum Clarifies Reports of Friction With Jaylen Brown: “They Tried to Pin Us Against Each Other”

Jayson Tatum spoke about his relationship with Jaylen Brown.

Jayson Tatum Clarifies Reports of Friction With Jaylen Brown: “They Tried to Pin Us Against Each Other”

Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (Image via FirstSportz)

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown formed one of the most formidable and lethal duos over the last decade. Brown and Tatum were both drafted by the Boston Celtics as the No. 3 picks in the 2016 and 2017 NBA drafts, respectively.

During their time together, they took the Celtics to multiple Eastern Conference Finals, including in their first season together in 2018. They reached their first NBA Finals in 2022 before finally winning the championship in 2024.

Tatum appeared on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle on Wednesday to promote his new children’s book. He was asked for his perspective on the state of affairs between him and Brown.

Everything we do is publicized and nitpicked… they tried to pin us against each other and say that one guy shouldn’t be here. But the truth is, we had 9 amazing years together. We went to the finals twice, we won a championship… I’ll forever be grateful for those memories and the time that we spent together.

Jayson Tatum on TODAY with Jenna & Sheinelle 

Tatum’s latest statements debunked all the reports that claimed the two stars were not on good terms over the last year. As he said, everything in their lives is so publicized that the media builds narratives to create controversy.

The Celtics surprised the NBA world when they traded away Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. The move was heavily criticized in the NBA community, especially after Brown’s incredible 2025-26 campaign.

There were reports that Brown’s future was up in the air after the Celtics’ failed move for Giannis Antetokounmpo. In the end, they did not waste any time in shipping out their star player to a rival club. The trade shocked Brown, as he never requested a trade after their season came to an end.

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Jayson Tatum on his reaction to the Jaylen Brown trade

It was an unfortunate ending that saw Jayson Tatum taken aback as well. After Brown’s trade was confirmed, Tatum was quick to post a heartfelt goodbye on social media. Their nine-year partnership came to an abrupt end.

Celtics had $600 million tied to Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum (Image via FanDuel/X)

When asked about his reaction to Brown’s trade, Tatum said:

To be honest, weird. It’s weird. You play on a team with a guy for 9 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. It’s tough. But it just makes you appreciate the moments and time that we had. Obviously, it came to an abrupt ending, but it doesn’t mean that it wasn’t super successful.

Jayson Tatum on Brown’s trade

The Celtics had a call to make in the offseason. They ended up choosing Tatum over Brown as they look to build their roster around the 28-year-old heading forward.

Celtics are taking a new direction with Jayson Tatum at the forefront

With Tatum missing the majority of the 2025-26 campaign due to injury, many believed that Brown is the new leader of the team. In a season with low expectations, Brown led the Celtics to a second-place finish in the Eastern Conference standings.

Unfortunately, the Celtics prioritized Tatum over their former Finals MVP. But it looks like the Celtics will not be trading for any big star to pair with Tatum for next season.

ESPN insider Brian Windhorst offered a notable assessment of Boston’s new direction heading into the 2026-27 campaign.

The Celtics are trying a new way of doing things, it’s not just gonna be Tatum, they’re gonna rely on Payton Prichard, they’re gonna rely on Baylor Scheierman, they’re gonna rely on Hugo Gonzalez.

Brian Windhorst on NBA Today

While the Celtics did acquire Paul George in the Brown trade, it looks like they are not going to use him as a direct replacement for Brown. They are shifting the entire foundation of how the team operates. It will be interesting to see how far the Celtics will go next season with their new approach.

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