Jayson Tatum dismissed speculation about tension with Jaylen Brown, reflected on their success together in Boston and looked ahead to facing his former teammate with the 76ers.
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Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum addressed misconceptions about his relationship with longtime teammate Jaylen Brown during an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show.
Tatum said that despite the various narratives surrounding the two, their relationship has always been strong. He pointed to everything they accomplished together in Boston while acknowledging that the business side of basketball ultimately played a role in Brown's departure this offseason.
"I mean, there's just so many different narratives, you know, and so many different opinions and speculations. You know, for me, I love that guy," Tatum said.
"What we were able to accomplish together in nine years, right? We went to the conference finals five times. We went to the championship twice. We won the championship. We've shared All-Star Games together. You know, you can't talk about him without talking about me and vice versa."
"The success that we've had as just two young kids growing up in this league and, you know, really just pushing each other. You know, unfortunately the business of basketball is always going to play a part," he continued.
"Nobody has ever played together forever, but, you know, it's not like a thing to be sad or upset about. It's a thing to celebrate what we were able to accomplish. And he's a tremendous person and a player, and I've got nothing but respect and wish him the best as he moves forward," Tatum added.
Tatum embraces upcoming battle with Brown
He was then asked about Boston's upcoming matchup against the 76ers and whether he would prefer to guard LeBron James or Brown.
Tatum joked that he did not want to give away the Celtics' game plan, but suggested there will likely be moments when he matches up with both stars.
"I mean, I can't give away our game plan. I'll probably guard everybody at some point," he said.
"The way that we play and the way that the game is played today, you know, you switch and different matchups. So the fans, they'll get what they want to see," Tatum added.
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