Holding his first press conference since he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, star forward Jaylen Brown stressed that he’s moving on from his time with the Boston Celtics.
He didn’t shy away, however, from hints that his final days there weren’t without challenges.
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During a Twitch stream in early July, Brown had said he felt there was “a bit of a lack of respect” during trade talks and discussions of Brown’s future, adding that he “wasn’t thrilled” with the way Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens “facilitated some of the conversations.”
When asked Thursday, Aug. 6 what bothered him about his final days with the Celtics, Brown wanted to look forward.
“The whole process,” Brown said. “But to be honest, my mind is so focused on what’s in front of me. I’m moving on. Maybe one day we can share the details of how everything transpired and all the moving parts that took place in this. Obviously, it’s a lot of speculation; I feel no need to chime in on it because I’m focused on what’s in front of me.”
Brown did say that he looks back on his time as a Celtic with gratitude from the city and how it helped him develop as a person. Brown also added the he’ll continue to be active in the Boston community.
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Brown revealed that when he first learned of the trade from Boston to Philadelphia, he threw his phone across the room, though he did not elaborate on the emotions behind that.
There has been speculation that the relationship between Brown and Celtics star Jayson Tatum had become strained. The two were teammates in Boston for nine seasons, and the pair won the 2024 NBA Finals, with Brown winning Finals Most Valuable Player.
“We won a championship together,” Brown said when asked how he would characterize his relationship with Tatum. “So anybody that you win a championship with, you would think that’s a brotherhood or a life-long legacy would entail. Obviously, there’s ups and downs in any relationship, for sure. But on my end, there’s nothing but respect. Besides when he plays the Sixers, I hope he does well. But other than that, everything for me is just based in respect.”
When asked if the two had been able to talk, Brown responded: “Not really.”
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and guard Jaylen Brown (7) look for the rebound against Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George (8) in a 2026 NBA playoffs game.
The 76ers and Celtics completed the trade July 1, with Philadelphia sending Paul George, two first-round draft picks and two second-round selections back to Boston.
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“People attacked my character,” Brown added. “Someone even went as far and said I had a disease. So it has been a crazy transition, to be honest. But none of it is completely surprising, even though some of these things were said externally. Internally and through the organization, there had been conversations. I wasn’t that surprised.”
Brown held his press conference at the Francis J. Myers Recreation Center in the Kingessing neighborhood of Southwest Philadelphia, opting to bypass the session being held at the 76ers facility and choosing to introduce himself to the city’s community. He also invited local children to attend.
“For me, and people who know my family and I, we are rooted in the community,” Brown said. “That space – that’s where we hang our hat, is being able to affect other people’s lives. We’re very blessed. We’ve been able to help our own family and be able to change the course of what our generation and our family name can possibly do, but we look forward to being able to impact others and being able to touch families and households that we may never get to see.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Jaylen Brown dishes on relationship with Jayson Tatum in Sixers introduction
