Boston Celtics
“Forever grateful for all that we accomplished together, for pushing me to be a better player.”
Jayson Tatum played alongside Jaylen Brown for nine seasons in Boston. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
July 3, 2026 | 5:27 PM
2 minutes to read
Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum penned a goodbye note to his former longtime teammate Jaylen Brown on social media Friday afternoon.
“9 years! Forever grateful for all that we accomplished together, for pushing me to be a better player,” Tatum wrote on his Instagram story. Behind his message is an older photo of the pair on the court together.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that Brown had been traded to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Paul George, two first-round draft picks, and a pair of second-round selections on Wednesday evening.
“From first round exits to winning a chip together I’m thankful for it all,” Tatum added. “Nothing but love and respect for you as a person! Looking forward to see how you attack this next chapter of your career and wish nothing but the best for you! Continue to be special!”
Brown was drafted third overall by the Celtics in the 2016 NBA Draft, and then Boston selected Tatum with the third pick in the 2017 Draft. The pair played nine seasons together and won the 2024 NBA Finals. Brown was named Finals MVP for his efforts in the series.
While Tatum has bid farewell to Brown, Brown has not explicitly said goodbye to Tatum. Brown didn’t mention any specific names in his written statement in the aftermath of the trade, and he didn’t bring up Tatum during his Thursday Twitch stream.
Brown seemed to be caught off guard by the trade, and several reports indicate the player didn’t request to be dealt by Boston. He even said he felt disrespected by the Celtics before the trade went down.
“I wasn’t thrilled with the amount of respect that was shown throughout this process,” Brown said during his livestream. “I think Brad [Stevens] is getting a lot of the criticism. I wasn’t thrilled with the way he facilitated some of the conversations.”
Brown will have plenty of opportunities to seek revenge against his former team after being traded to a team in the same division as the Celtics. Boston and Philly will face off four times in the 2026-27 regular season; the full schedule for each team will be released later this summer.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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