Jaylen Brown finally faced his former team, the Boston Celtics, in a preseason game last night, marking the first time he’d played against them since getting traded to the 76ers. This wasn’t just another exhibition; it was a reunion packed with emotion.
Brown’s First Clash Against His Former Squad
The No. 3 pick from the 2016 NBA Draft was dealt to Philadelphia over three months ago in a big move that sent draft picks and Paul George the other way. Before this big moment, Brown actually sat out the 76ers’ first game against the Celtics. He made his preseason debut against the Cavaliers, though, dropping an impressive 22 points. Last night, against his old squad, the stakes felt different. Even in a 125-120 overtime loss for the 76ers, Brown put up a solid 20 points in 31 minutes. He also grabbed eight rebounds, dished out three assists, and swatted away two shots. You could tell it was an “odd situation” for him, but he absolutely made the most of his time out there.
A Decade In Boston, Now A New Chapter
Brown spent a full decade with the Celtics, even stepping up big last year to help lead them to the playoffs when Jayson Tatum was out with an injury. Now, he’s looking on as his former squad tries to figure out life without him. After the game, he was pretty open about it all, sharing his thoughts via NBC Sports Boston. He said, “I played there for 10 years, so it’ll never be out of the way. But it was good to see some of the young guys. Spent a lot of time with those guys. Seeing them developing and getting better, it’s good to see.” That’s some raw honesty right there; you can tell those years meant a lot to him.
We won’t have to wait too long for the next round of this emotional matchup. The Celtics face the 76ers again on November 10, this time in Philadelphia. Then, Boston hosts Brown’s new squad on January 21. You know those games are gonna be circled on the calendar!
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.
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