jaylen brown
jaylen brown
Jaylen Brown views playing the Boston Celtics for the first time as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers as similar to randomly running into a former love interest.
The 76ers continue their 2026 preseason schedule on Saturday night with a matchup against the team they eliminated in the semis of this year’s playoffs, the Celtics. The matchup will be the first of several big clashes between a pair of talented teams that will be vying for a top-four spot in the conference this season.
However, it is a far different situation for the five-time All-Star. Last year, he was Boston’s top player with Jayson Tatum out for much of the season to rehabilitate a ruptured Achilles. Yet, there was something off about how he went about his career year and the way the team played that the Celtics didn’t like.
And to the shock of many NBA fans, they traded him to the Sixers this summer.
Jaylen Brown compares first Boston Celtics matchup to seeing an ‘ex out in public’
76ers
Oct 8, 2026; Brooklyn, New York, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jaylen Brown (7) reacts from the bench during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images
Following the trade, many circled that first matchup between the two teams on Nov. 10 as a must-see game on the regular season schedule. However, Brown will actually face off with the team that helped develop him into an NBA star far earlier when the 76ers play the Celtics in Boston in a preseason matchup tonight.
Ahead of a game — where he is sure to play limited minutes — Brown gave his thoughts about going up against his former team for the first time in a new videoon his Twitch channel. And the two-way star offered up a unique comparison for how he views the emotional matchup.
“We about to preseason play the Celtics tomorrow. Interesting dynamic,” Brown began by saying. “And it’s just life. It’s like running into your ex out in public, like damn, we used to go together, you feel me? Then you just look at them and just like, dang, and you just got to go about your business. It’s facts though. So, it is what it is, man. But I’m super excited.”