Jaylen Brown didn’t exactly shut the door on the Jayson Tatum talk Saturday night - he just made sure to keep the “no beef” line intact while tossing in a few sharp elbows along the way.
Brown, speaking after Tatum had said the two former Celtics teammates had “no beef” following Brown’s social-media comment suggesting Tatum was lying about not knowing Brown had been traded to the Sixers, said he agreed with that part. Sort of.
“I didn't see the full thing, but I saw that he said there's no beef and I think he's right," Brown said. "There's no beef.
Jayson comes from a wonderful family. We've accomplished some great things.
He's a hell of a basketball player. He's got a great PR team.
There's no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops and some gravy. You know what I mean?
He should stay ready at all times.”
Brown was asked about Tatum three more times and kept circling back to the same idea: no beef, but not exactly warmth either. The praise kept coming, but so did the “lamb chops” line, which made Brown’s tone feel less like a reunion and more like a sly jab dressed up in compliments.
When asked whether he wanted to talk things through with Tatum, Brown stayed noncommittal.
“We both got so much stuff in front of us," Brown said. "So, at the end of the day, we both - he’s got to do what he’s got to do for his team.
I got to do what I do for my team. Jayson's a great guy.
Like I said, great family, hell of a basketball player, hell of a PR team. There's no beef, but it be a little lamb chop.”
Tatum had said Friday night that he wanted to speak with Brown and clear the air. Brown, meanwhile, made it clear he’s not interested in pretending the situation is anything other than what it is: no beef, but definitely some edge.
The Celtics will be in Philadelphia on Nov. 10 for the first of four regular-season meetings between the teams, with Brown’s return to TD Garden set for Jan. 21.
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