Jaylen Brown is already anticipating the awkward feeling of returning to Boston to face the Celtics.
During his Friday Twitch livestream, the new Philadelphia 76ers superstar compared the experience to running into an ex-girlfriend in public.
"It’s like you running into your ex out in public," Brown said. "Like, ‘Damn, we used to go together.’ … And you just look at them and be like, ‘Dang.’ You just gotta go about your business.
"It is what it is, man. But no, I’m super excited."
Jaylen Brown to face Celtics in Boston for the 1st time
Jaylen Brown and the Philadelphia 76ers will visit Boston to face the Celtics on Saturday, with a rematch scheduled for next week in Philadelphia to wrap up both teams’ preseason campaigns before the 2026-27 NBA regular season begins.
The weekend matchup will mark Brown’s first return to Boston, where he spent the first 10 seasons of his NBA career, since his shocking trade departure from the Celtics this past offseason.
The Celtics traded Brown to Philadelphia in July for Paul George, two first-round draft picks and two second-round picks.
The deal left the entire league stunned, as Boston pulled the trigger for financial reasons and Brown enjoyed the past 2025-26 as a career year by averaging 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists across 71 appearances to lead the Celtics' 56-win season.
With Brown set to return to TD Garden while wearing a Sixers uniform, mixed feelings are guaranteed to emerge among the superstar and the entire Celtics fanbase.