Boston Celtics
“That’s something that I can vividly say is that I don’t think those guys dislike each other at all.”
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had plenty of success together for nine seasons with Boston. Erin Clark/The Boston Globe
August 5, 2026 | 7:46 PM
2 minutes to read
During the nine years that they played on the same parquet court together, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown helped usher in one of the most fruitful chapters of the Celtics’ storied history, culminating in a championship in 2024.
But, the dynamic between the two star players — especially away from the hardwood — has been dissected at length over the last month following Brown’s shocking trade to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Even with their success together as franchise pillars, ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania noted after Brown’s trade to Philly that the Celtics stars weren’t all that close away from the court.
“On the court, they were great,” Charania said on SiriusXM. “But over the last year or so, that personal relationship, it was as close to nonexistent as you could have. But on the court, they were amazing, hard-working professionals together.”
During a recent radio appearance on SiriusXM NBA Radio, former Celtics forward Grant Williams attempted to clear the air about the working dynamic between two of his former teammates.
Former Celtic Grant Williams on the relationship between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown:
“You can bring the best out of someone else beside you. And I think that’s what it was for those two, that they had respect for one another, they enjoyed being around one another when they’re…
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) August 5, 2026
“Sometimes you’re just competitors,” Williams said. “You want to have the best career individually, but also, you bring the best out of someone else beside you. I think that’s what it was for those two.
“They had the respect for one another. They enjoyed being around one another on the court. … they didn’t have any disdain for each other off the floor. That’s something that I can vividly say is that I don’t think those guys dislike each other at all.”
Speaking on the TODAY show last month, Tatum sent his best wishes to Brown — who he will now compete against as an Atlantic Division foe.
“I think, for one, I have nothing but love and respect for Jaylen,” Tatum said. “It’s tough, when you’re a professional athlete and everything we do is publicized and nit-picked, and it’s been like that.”
Tatum said during that same interview that he felt people have been trying to drive a wedge between him and Brown for years — especially during their early years together with the Celtics.
“There was a period of our career where we hadn’t won a championship yet, but, in retrospect we were only 23 and 21 years old,” Tatum said. “So, the expectations were so high and they just had to try to figure out a reason why we hadn’t won yet.”
“They tried to pin us against each other and say one guy shouldn’t be here and whatnot, but the truth is we had nine amazing years together. We went to the [NBA] Finals twice. We won a championship. So, I’ll forever be grateful for those memories and the time that we spent together.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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