Don’t expect any handshakes or pleasantries when Jaylen Brown steps onto the court at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Tuesday night. Brown made it crystal clear on Sunday, via ESPN’s Kris Rhim, that he’s not planning on chatting with Jayson Tatum, telling reporters, “It’s nothing to talk about. I mean, he’s on his side, I’m on my side. Just playing basketball. Both of us are trying to win, so nothing to talk about. Just check the ball up.” This first game between Brown’s 76ers and his old team, the Celtics, is going to be straight fire, with ten years of history and a very fresh feud hanging in the air.
Lamb Chops and Gravy: The Feud Heats Up
Brown’s trade to the 76ers this past summer was a blockbuster that sent Paul George to Boston. And even though his reps insisted he never demanded to be traded, the whispers were loud. Brown spent a decade in Boston, nine of those seasons alongside Tatum, even winning a championship together. On the court, they looked fine. Off it? The relationship seems absolutely ice cold now. The “feud,” if you can even call it that, got spicy last month when Brown dropped a blue hat emoji on Instagram. That was a direct shot at a video Tatum posted where he claimed he was “caught off guard” by Brown’s move to Philly. Brown’s cap emoji? It was basically calling Tatum a liar. Tatum tried to play it down, saying “it ain’t no f***ing Shaq and Kobe” situation. Brown followed suit a day later, but he kept the intensity up. “We’ve accomplished some great things. He’s a hell of a basketball player,” Brown said, then added a jab: “He’s got a great PR team. There’s no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and some gravy. He should stay ready at all times.” Yeah, this isn’t “nothing to talk about,” is it?
New Teams, New Records
So, with all that history, what are these guys actually doing on the court? Both teams are absolutely scorching early in the season. Tatum is averaging 27.9 points and eight assists per game this fall, leading Boston to a red-hot 8-2 record. Brown, for his part, is putting up 21.6 points and 6.7 rebounds per game for the 76ers, who are sitting pretty at 9-2 after a 127-121 win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday. Brown had a monster game himself in that one, dropping 29 points and grabbing seven rebounds at the United Center. Both players are clearly still elite talents leading winning teams.
Regardless of the personal drama, their NBA careers are definitely headed in different directions on different rosters. Tuesday’s contest in Philadelphia marks the first time these two teams face off this season. While it feels like this first matchup could be super emotional, Brown is trying to keep it cool. Or at least, he says he is. “We’ll see how I feel when we get out there, but as of now, I got no emotion towards anything,” Brown said on Sunday. “So I’m just ready to go.” You think he really has “no emotion” for this one? Yeah, right. The whole league will be watching this, trust me.
This game isn’t just a regular Tuesday night matchup, it’s a test of wills and a showcase of two players trying to prove who moved on better. The stage is set for an epic showdown. Get ready, because when the ball tips off, you know both Brown and Tatum are going to be playing with a fire we haven’t seen from them against each other yet.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply