Together, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have defined Boston Celtics basketball for a generation. That era just ended, via a blockbuster trade with the Philadelphia 76ers.
One Celtics star officially bid farewell to another on Friday, with Tatum posting a message to Brown on his Instagram story featuring a picture of the pair from their early years.
Tatum’s full message:
9 years! Forever grateful for all that we accomplished together, for pushing me to be a better player. From first round exits to winning a chip together I’m thankful for it all. Nothing but love and respect for you as a player and as a person! Looking forward to see how you attack this next chapter of your career and wish nothing but the best for you! Continue to be special!
Tatum and Brown played together for nine years. Brown was the third overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft and Tatum was the third overall pick of the 2017 NBA Draft. The pair never missed the playoffs and reached the NBA Finals twice, winning it all in 2023-24.
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The trade that sent Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for Paul George and draft picks will be dissected for years to come. For all of their success together, there were regular questions if having two players making $116.2 million combined, as they would have in 2026-27, was ideal when they played essentially the same position. There have also been whispers about Brown’s personality and the role of analytics, especially following a season in which the Celtics performed better with him off the court than on.
Still, it’s rare to see players like Brown get traded at the age of 29, especially to a division rival. Brown himself responded with a statement “excited and disappointed at the same time,” then got a lot more candid on a Twitch stream, complaining about “a lack of respect.”
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For all that’s been discussed about the trade, Tatum’s affinity for Brown has never been questioned. The move still leaves Tatum as the singular superstar in Boston, about to face a friend turned rival four games per season and possibly more in the playoffs.
