It’s been two weeks since the seismic Jaylen Brown trade to the 76ers, and his former teammate and co-star, Boston Celtics guard Jayson Tatum, finally has a response.
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“If I’m being transparent, it’s weird,” Tatum said in an ESPN interview at the ESPY Awards. “I’ve been on the Celtics for nine years, and he was my teammate every single one of those.”
Tatum joined Brown in Boston as the No. 3 draft pick in 2017, one year after Brown himself was selected third. Since then, the duo has played more than 600 games together and won a championship in 2024. Despite that bond, Tatum said he understands that “the NBA is a business” and is ready to turn his focus to next season.
“There’s still a human element of it that you feel those emotions. The city feels those emotions,” Tatum said. “But there’s also a side of like, we have to welcome our new teammates in with open arms, and we still have to attack the new season.
“So there’s like a balance,” he added. “But it’s weird.”
The reaction to Tatum’s response has been largely one of frustration among Celtics fans. Many of the top comments on X under a video of the interview call Tatum “fake” and say he “was asking for it.” The trade, which sent 36-year-old Paul George to Boston, has the team reshaping its roster ahead of the 2026-27 season. Tatum agreed in the interview that the team has a lot of work to do.
For Brown, the emotions about leaving Boston are complicated also. He expressed his thoughts in a statement on social media.
“I’m still processing how this all went down,” Brown said. “I’m excited and disappointed at the same time. I earned my respect from this city. I never asked for shortcuts or special treatment. I simply showed up every day, put my head down, and accepted every challenge.”
He added in a Twitch stream that he is “excited for what comes next” despite the “lack of respect” from his former team.
Philadelphia, however, is prepared to welcome him with open arms. New 76ers president Mike Gansey expressed his gratitude, “We’re just super lucky to get him, and I know he’s motivated,” he said. Brown will be eligible to sign an extension with the Sixers on July 26.
For now, both players and fans seem to agree on one thing: after nine years together, there’s no clean way to say goodbye.
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