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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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The Boston Celtics traded All-Star Jaylen Brown this offseason to the Philadelphia 76ers, ending a lengthy relationship Brown had with the team and his time playing alongside fellow All-Star Jayson Tatum.
Since the trade, Brown has continued to express disappointment over how the deal occurred. He took shots at the team for being disloyal and has seemingly suggested a fractured relationship with Tatum.
Most recently, Brown commented with a cap emoji on a social media post showing part of Tatum's YouTube reaction video to the trade. A cap is typically used online as a way to call someone out for not telling the truth.
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That prompted a back-and-forth through press conferences and interviews involving the former teammates. Tatum indicated he had no "ill will" towards Brown and felt they could have a conversation to clear up any lingering issues. Brown has since responded to Tatum's remarks.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was also asked how he felt about the back-and-forth comments between the two, including Brown using the cap emoji to seemingly claim Tatum's reaction wasn't the truth.
"I knew what that meant. My 10-year-old says that a lot," Mazzulla joked about Brown using the emoji.
More news: Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Fires Back at Jaylen Brown Trade Narrative
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Mazzulla also addressed the ongoing potential drama between the former teammates, emphasizing that the Celtics' focus is on their star player, while also expressing appreciation for Brown's contributions.
"They're different in how they handle things," Mazzulla told reporters about the former teammates, adding, "They're just different. It doesn't mean that it's good or bad. They're just different. So you focus on the high character. We're focused on Jayson because he's with us. He plays for us. He's our guy.
"We're grateful for what Jaylen did in the past, but our focus is on Jayson. Who he is as a player, who he is as a person. But you never forget the gratitude and perspective of a former Celtic who has left this place in a better place," he said.
Brown, a five-time All-Star, also won the NBA Finals MVP after helping Boston capture the championship in 2024. Last season, he led the team while Tatum sat out most of the campaign following surgery to repair a ruptured Achilles tendon.
The Celtics finished as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, earning first-round home-court advantage in the postseason, but they fell to the 76ers in seven games.
The 2026 season is underway, with the Celtics at 1-1 and the 76ers off to a hot start at 3-0. After the game, Brown responded to his former teammate's recent comments, seemingly taking another subtle jab.
"There’s no beef. Jayson comes from a wonderful family; we accomplished great things; he’s a hell of a basketball player; he’s got a great PR team; there’s no beef, but there might be a little lamb chops and some gravy," Brown said after learning about Tatum's comments.
Both teams remain potential Eastern Conference contenders, and their upcoming meetings could put the spotlight back on the apparent tension between the former teammates — or give them a chance to demonstrate there's no lingering feud.
The Celtics and 76ers get their first official meeting of the season on Nov. 10 in Philadelphia, aka the "City of Brotherly Love."
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