Jaylen Brown snubs Jayson Tatum in first game against former team

Philadelphia 76ers player Jaylen Brown snubbed former Boston Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum before the opening tip of Tuesday night's game in Philadelphia. Fox News and the Daily Mail both reported that Brown gave Tatum the cold shoulder on the court prior to the matchup. Yahoo reported that Brown greeted almost every other Celtics player before the game. [1][5][11]

The game was the first meeting between the two players since Boston traded Brown to Philadelphia during the summer off-season. According to ESPN insider Shams Charania, cited by Fox News, the two stars had not spoken face-to-face since a dinner confrontation in France last June. Fox News and HoopsHype both reported that Brown confronted Tatum over their future in Boston after the Celtics placed Brown in trade talks for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Bleacher Report described the sit-down as a heart-to-heart talk. [1][2][4][9]

Brown and Tatum played nine seasons together in Boston. The Boston Celtics selected Brown with the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA draft. Tatum was selected by the Celtics with the third overall pick in the 2017 NBA draft. The duo led the franchise to its 18th NBA championship in 2024. [2][12][13][15][16]

The off-season trade reshaped both rosters in the Eastern Conference. CBS Sports reported that the trade was driven in part by issues between the two former All-Star teammates. As FTMQ News reported earlier, the Philadelphia 76ers added Brown to their roster ahead of the 2026-27 season alongside forward LeBron James. [2][17]