Ahead of Tuesday’s season-series opener in Philadelphia, Jaylen Brown made it clear he has no interest in a reunion conversation with Jayson Tatum.
After the Sixers beat the Chicago Bulls on Sunday afternoon, Brown was asked whether he had spoken with his former Celtics running mate. His answer was blunt.
"There’s nothing to talk about," Brown said. "I mean, he’s on his side, I’m on my side, playing basketball.
Both of us are trying to win, so it’s nothing to talk about. Let’s check the ball up."
Brown spent 10 years in Boston, made five All-Star teams there and has continued to speak warmly about the city and its fans. He did that again Sunday, even as the Celtics now sit on the other side of the matchup.
"I love Boston. Boston’s a great city," Brown said on Sunday.
"A lot of people I developed a relationship with, you know what I mean? But I’m just focused on what’s in front of me right now, and that’s the most important thing."
That “in front of me” is Tatum and the Celtics, and Brown didn’t downplay the stage. He called Tuesday night a chance for the Sixers to show what they’re about.
"It should be fun," Brown said. "Never let a good opportunity for our team to be able to show what we’re made of [go], so I’m looking forward to it.
Big-time matchup, two heavyweights in the East. Let’s get it."
The back-and-forth between Brown and Tatum has already had a public layer to it this season. Tatum said in a self-produced mini-documentary that he was shocked to see Brown traded to the rival Sixers. Brown later reacted to a clip of that and suggested Tatum wasn’t being truthful.
Then Tatum addressed the situation in a lengthy Celtics postgame press conference, saying there was no beef and that better communication could help moving forward. Brown agreed there was no beef, but he added a qualifier.
"He’s a hell of a basketball player," Brown said. "He’s got a great PR team.
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