Mar 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) and forward Jayson Tatum (0) congratulate each other in the final seconds of the fourth quarter of their win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
Mar 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) and forward Jayson Tatum (0) congratulate each other in the final seconds of the fourth quarter of their win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
For the first nine years of his NBA career, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum enjoyed continuity in Boston. This summer, however, he had to make his biggest adjustment yet after the franchise traded his long-time running mate, Jaylen Brown.
In the direct aftermath of the trade, Tatum spoke very little about it publicly, but he has since opened up. In the most recent media interview, he described his immediate, unfiltered reaction after finding out Brown would be joining the Philadelphia 76ers.
“We were in Vegas, I just got done playing pickup,” Tatum recalled. “(Celtics player development coach God Shammgod Jr.) walks over. He hands me a towel. He’s like, ‘Yo, put this over your face. Don’t react. They just traded him.’ I’m like, ‘Oh (expletive)! Where?’ He said, ‘Philly.’ You traded him down the street? I was just as caught off guard as the rest of the world.”
For Tatum, the only thing more surprising than the Celtics trading Brown was them trading him to Philadelphia. The two teams have been clashing for years as top division rivals, and that means Tatum will have to play his former teammate at least four times every season. It helps, at least, that he doesn’t have any resentment toward Brown. In fact, Jayson still looks back with pride on their run together, which resulted in two Finals appearances and an NBA championship.
“I’ve been very transparent about how thankful I personally am for our relationship and what we were able to accomplish,” Tatum stated. “Jayson and Jaylen, you won’t ever be able to talk about one of us without the other. And just our ability to grow up as kids and go through our ups and downs, and people talking about one of us had to go, and we couldn’t win together, and — there’s a lot of (expletive) that we had to deal with.”
Of course, the duo was far from perfect during their time together, and Tatum will be the first to admit that. In the end, however, both players brought out the best in each other, and that impact will be felt for the rest of their careers.
“I knew every time I stepped on that court that when it was time to go to war…and No. 7 was over there, I knew that he was going to do whatever it took for us to try to win,” Tatum added. “The way we pushed each other, I definitely made him better. He made me better, and we made our team better. We made this organization better. We won a championship. We are forever etched in stone in NBA history. We held up that trophy. It won’t ever be forgotten.”
Very few duos in the NBA have been able to accomplish what Tatum and Brown did. They started together and rose up at the same time, culminating in regular and repeated playoff runs. Most impressive of all is that they managed to stay teammates for as long as they did, given that so many people were trying to split them up.
Ultimately, both Tatum and Brown have moved on from their time together. Both are focused on their own pursuits now, and we can expect all-out war when they see each other next. But don’t let anyone tell you that these former teammates don’t hold great respect for each other, despite what appearances may suggest.
Nico Martinez is a veteran staff writer for Fadeaway World from Brooklyn, New York. He joined Fadeaway World in 2016 and is currently residing in Columbia, South Carolina. Nico holds a degree in Sports Management from Columbia International University where he built a strong foundation in the inner workings of sports media and management. Nico's contributions have significantly enhanced the credibility and depth of Fadeaway World's content, earning him recognition across the sports journalism community. His work has been discussed in prestigious publications like Sports Illustrated. A dedicated follower of LeBron James, Nico often leads coverage on news related to the basketball star. With nearly a decade of experience in sports journalism, Nico consistently provides comprehensive and timely basketball news, engaging a wide audience of basketball enthusiasts.Nico's most desired player to interview, past or present, is Kevin Durant. He is particularly keen on asking Durant if he has any regrets about his career, especially concerning his departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder, and why he engages so much with fans on social media.