We Now Know How Close Jaylen Brown And Jayson Tatum Actually Were

We Now Know How Close Jaylen Brown And Jayson Tatum Actually Were originally appeared on NESN.
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They were the “two Jays.”

Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, for as long as they were members of the Boston Celtics, were the two most important parts of the team’s success.

They eventually got past all the early concerns about them and won an NBA championship together.

The 2025-26 season couldn’t have been their favorite, though. Tatum rehabbed from a torn Achilles most of the year while Brown put up big numbers.

In the end, Tatum’s return didn’t come together quite nicely enough, and the Celtics didn’t pull off a championship.

They may not have known it at the time, but that spelled the end for Brown. The Celtics traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George and draft capital.

And in the aftermath of that, an important question is being answered.

MORE: Paul George’s Celtics jersey number has a shaky history

Were Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum friends?

It turns out, they may not have liked each other all that much, at least in the end.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday night that away from the court, the relationship between Tatum and Brown was “as close to non-existent as you could have.”

Charania added: “It’s a tale of two different people.”

Shams Charania reveals that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s personal relationship off the court was “as close to non-existent as you could have” over the last year. 😳

“It is a tale of two different people.” pic.twitter.com/HfHObUV4Su

— NBABase (@TheNBABase) July 7, 2026

This can’t have been helped by the fact that Tatum couldn’t really be a full part of things as he rehabbed, but it’s not a good sign regardless.

It likely explains at least in part why Brown was involved in trade discussions for Giannis Antetokounmpo before eventually being sent to Philly.

It certainly sets up for a fascinating time when the Celtics and 76ers meet on the floor, and Tatum and Brown potentially spend some plays guarding each other.