Jayson Tatum spent Thursday doing something he hadn’t done publicly since Jaylen Brown was sent to Philadelphia in July: talking about his former Celtics teammate in direct, personal terms.
On The Dan Patrick Show, Tatum was asked about the biggest misconception people have about his relationship with Brown, and he pushed back on the noise that followed the split. Tatum said there have been “so many different opinions and speculation” about their years together, but his view was simple.
“ For me, I love that guy,” Tatum said. “ What we were able to accomplish together in nine years - we went to the conference finals five times, we went to the championship twice, we won a championship, we’ve shared All-Star games together - you can’t talk about him without talking about me, and vice versa.
“ … Unfortunately, the business of basketball is always going to play a part,” Tatum added. “ Nobody has ever played together forever.
But it’s not a thing to be sad or upset about. It’s a thing to celebrate what we were able to do.
“ He’s a tremendous person and player. I got nothing but respect and wish him the best.”
Elsewhere around the Celtics, Brad Stevens gave a broad look at where the team stands heading into the 2026/27 season during an appearance Friday on SiriusXM NBA Radio’s The Starting Lineup with Frank Isola and Brian Scalabrine. Stevens addressed the Brown-for-Paul George and draft-picks deal, Tatum’s health entering training camp, and his read on the roster.
When asked about Tatum, Stevens said: “ It sure looks like (he’s healthy). We’ve been lucky. A lot of our guys have been in the gym … he’s probably around as much as anyone … he’s been setting a great example for everybody and he looks really good.”
The Celtics also had a note from Mitchell Robinson, who missed Tuesday’s introductory press conference for what the team called undisclosed personal reasons and an excused absence. Robinson later explained in an Instagram video on Wednesday that the reason was painful and personal: his younger brother was hit by a car that morning.
At that same introductory session, Mike Conley explained why Boston pulled him in during free agency and what he believes he can add to the group this season. Conley pointed to his experience and the sense of urgency he and Paul George bring to a team that wants to keep pushing.
“ Leadership is one thing I know I can bring, and the urgency that even myself and Paul have to bring to this team as two guys that haven’t had a chance to win a championship yet,” Conley said. “ So it’s that sense of urgency that maybe reignites that for the guys who have already won it to kind of continue to push them every day, and continue to show them how we want to win, at practices, and try to translate that to games.”
Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston also examined what Conley can offer as he enters his 20th NBA season.
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Cenac arrived from Houston after one college season, where he averaged 9.5 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, and Brad Stevens has already offered some thoughts on how he might fit in Bostons plans. Still, a strong showing in a summer run is not the same as carving out NBA minutes, and the real test for Cenac will be whether that promise shows up once the games count and the Celtics start asking for consistency. [Read more 🡒]