Boston Celtics
“We’re grateful for what Jaylen did in the past, but our focus goes to Jayson, who he is as a player, who he is as a person, and then we just move on from there.”
Joe Mazzulla was asked on Sunday about the relationship between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Scott Eisen/Getty Images for HBO
October 25, 2026 | 4:39 PM
3 minutes to read
The seemingly fractured relationship between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown has made headlines throughout the first week of the new NBA season, with the former teammates trading retorts during postgame press conferences.
Speaking to reporters at the Auerbach Center on Sunday, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla was asked to weigh in on the drama between the two.
Much like Tatum after Friday’s win over the Knicks, Mazzulla seemed to want to focus on what the duo achieved together over nine years in Boston.
But with Brown now playing for the 76ers, Mazzulla backed Tatum as the top option on a reworked Celtics roster.
“Those two guys, they were together for 10 years, and they had great, great moments together,” Mazzulla said. “And at the end of the day, nobody is perfect. We all can be better. We all did great things. We all did things that we want to be better at. So I think it’s more just focusing on the greatness that those two were able to achieve and the fact that they’re both great people. They’re different in how they play the game. They’re different in how they handle things. They’re different. It doesn’t mean that it’s good or bad.
“They’re just different. 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 goes to Jayson, who he is as a player, who he is as a person, and then we just move on from there.”
Brown sparked discourse about his relationship with Tatum over the last few days, taking to Instagram to respond with a “cap” emoji — a slang term for something untrue — to a video of Tatum discussing Brown’s trade to Philly in the offseason.
In the video, Tatum said he had no prior knowledge that the Celtics were going to trade Brown to an Atlantic Division rival in the Sixers.
Tatum responded to Brown’s Instagram comment on Friday, stressing that there is “no beef” between him and Brown — and adding that he wants to have a conversation with his ex-teammate.
“I’m not like blaming anybody for how they feel, right? Everybody is entitled to their own feelings, and we all go through different things in our lives,” Tatum said. “Just for me, and I mean, all of y’all kind of saw us grow up and everything that we accomplished, and I don’t want that to be in the rearview mirror of what’s being talked about when it pertains to us, too. It should be celebrated, right?
“I mean, people played in this league and never went to the finals. We went twice and won a championship. So it should be more about that. Like, this ain’t no [expletive] Shaq and Kobe. Like, there’s no beef. It’s not about that. It should be more, you know, praise. I understand that …. drama gets clicks and views, but I’m not really into — that’s not my thing.”
But Brown continued to fan the flames when asked about Tatum’s comments on Saturday night.
“I saw that he said there’s no beef and I think he’s right,” Brown said. “There’s no beef. Jayson comes from a wonderful family. We’ve accomplished some 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 gravy, you know what I mean? He should stay ready at all times.”
Jaylen Brown on Jayson Tatum: “It’s no beef, but it might be little lamb chops and some gravy, you know what I mean?
“He should stay ready at all times.” pic.twitter.com/1jkBUKguWr
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) October 25, 2026
Mazzulla was asked on Sunday whether the drama between Brown and Tatum is a sad end to a successful nine-year partnership on the parquet.
“It doesn’t necessarily make you sad. I think that’s just kind of the nature of the space that we’re in,” Mazzulla said. “I think you just have a choice to decide what we’re going to focus on. And like I said, we make this place for every Celtic. Once a Celtic, always a Celtic. Once you’ve left this place better than you found it, you cannot forget that. You have a gratitude and a perspective of that. And then we focus on the present moment.”
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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