Boston Celtics
“But on the court, they were amazing, hard-working professionals together.”
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown won a title together in 2024. Elsa / Getty Images
July 8, 2026 | 8:33 AM
2 minutes to read
Speaking on Monday, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens said that the decision to trade Jaylen Brown to the 76ers in exchange for Paul George and four total draft picks was not influenced at all by Brown’s longtime teammate — Jayson Tatum.
“I have a real hard, fast rule that I don’t ask other guys about other guys, because it’s not – I don’t want to put them in that position,” Stevens said. “And so he had none.”
But in the aftermath of such a franchise-altering deal, Brown and Tatum’s partnership — one that led to Boston’s sought-after 18th championship in 2024 — has been re-examined by several reporters and NBA insiders.
Shams on Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s off-court relationship:
“On the court, they were great. But over the last year or so, that personal relationship, it was as close to not existent as you could have.”pic.twitter.com/XiRNmKYpuR
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) July 7, 2026
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania added more fuel to the fire on Tuesday during a spot on SiriusXM — noting that Tatum and Brown’s successful pairing on the parquet floor didn’t exactly translate to tight-knit bond away from the game of basketball.
“On the court, they were great,” Charania said. “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.”
Of course, a strong rapport off the field/court/diamond doesn’t need to be a necessity when it comes to successful partnerships in sports — as evidenced by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal, and Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.
Still, given Boston’s urgency to deal away Brown amid an underwhelming return — coupled with Brown’s repeated musings about how the 2025-26 season was his “favorite” of his career with Tatum largely on the mend due to a torn Achilles, it’s a topic that’s generated plenty of discourse after the Celtics uprooted one of their franchise pillars last week.
Tatum commented publicly on Brown’s exit for the first time on Tuesday while at an event promoting his new children’s book.
“It’s tough,” Tatum said. “But it just makes you appreciate the moments and time that we had. Obviously, it came to an abrupt ending, but it doesn’t mean that it wasn’t super successful. Great years, obviously, that he gave to the city and to the organization.”
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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