Key Takeaways

• Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum won an NBA title together before a disappointing playoff exit two years later.
• Boston traded Brown to Philadelphia, ending his longtime partnership with Tatum.
• Brown questioned Tatum’s claim he learned of the trade with everyone else, but denied any beef.

It was all good just a year ago. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum united in Boston in 2017 as young, future NBA superstars on the Boston Celtics’ roster. It culminated with an NBA championship in 2024. But in July 2026, after an early, disappointing playoff exit, Brown was shipped to the Philadelphia Sixers, and the speculation of what led to the unceremonious breakup of “The Jays” had already started.

Now there might or might not be beef on the menu, so REVOLT takes a journey back to recount how this pair of NBA stars arrived, paired up and eventually went their separate ways.

Tip-off

Brown was a heavily recruited high school basketball prospect, ranked as high as No. 4 in the class of 2015. After just one year of college basketball for the University of California’s Golden Bears, he declared for the NBA draft. In June 2016, the Celtics selected the Georgia native as the third overall pick in the first round. He promptly made his mark as a pro, earning an NBA All-Rookie Second Team selection at the end of the 2016-2017 season.

With Brown quickly becoming a fan-favorite, the Celtics grabbed another star from the college ranks the very next year. Jayson Tatum was also an elite high school player, and it was Duke that won the recruitment battle for the small forward out of Missouri. The versatile sharpshooter was also a one-and-done college basketball player, and the Celtics selected him, coincidentally, with the No. 3 overall pick during the 2017 draft. With that, Boston’s core duo was set in motion. Tatum also impressed in his pro debut year, earning All-Rookie First Team honors in 2018.

Dynamic duo

Calling Brown and Tatum’s impact on Boston sports transformational would not be hyperbole.

Their stats were modest in the 2017-2018 season. Brown and Tatum averaged about 15 and 14 points per game, respectively, but the team, then led by Kyrie Irving, finished with a 55-27 record. As the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, the success continued in the playoffs as the squad made it to 2018’s Conference Finals before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Despite the playoff exit, the future of the Boston Celtics was bright thanks to their two young guns.

The Celtics would make the playoffs every year of the nine seasons that Tatum and Brown played together. Each season both players would improve, boosting their stats and making NBA All-Star teams (they both made the roster in 2021) that would certify their greatness. While there was chatter in the media about whether or not the two players could thrive together, on the court, they continued to win games. Off the court, the fan-favorites also appeared to be the best of friends, or so we thought.

Motivation

After another great year, in May 2021, just before the NBA playoffs, it was announced that Brown would miss the rest of the season because of an injured wrist. While Tatum admirably put up big numbers (he averaged over 30 points per game), the Celtics were still bounced out by the Brooklyn Nets in the first round. With the earliest exit since joining the team as motivation, Brown and Tatum reportedly trained together in the post-season for the first time.

On the court, their chemistry was evident by the wins the team put up. Off the court, they led different lives. Tatum was more reserved, raising a son (plus, his second son arrived in August 2024). Brown was more willing to discuss social issues, which more often than not rankled some, at least per Stephen A. Smith. Interestingly, despite being low-hanging fruit when it comes to marketing, the pair have never appeared in an ad campaign together.

But on the hardwood, night in and night out, both Jays delivered. In doing so, they no doubt pushed each other to be the best versions of themselves as individual players, which made their team all the more successful.

Championship, or bust

The 2021-2022 season would prove that Tatum and Brown were both elite NBA players. On the way to a 51-31 record, Brown and Tatum averaged 23.6 points and 26.9 points, respectively. All the chatter of whether they could co-exist on the same team quieted with each playoff win as the team marched to the NBA Finals, where they met a veteran Golden State Warriors team.

The Celtics wouldn’t win in 2022, and in 2023, the team only got as far as the Conference Finals after digging itself into an 0-3 hole with the Miami Heat (the series would go to seven games). But in 2024, it all came together. Tatum and Brown sped through the playoffs — in the postseason, they averaged 25 and 24 points, respectively. While defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals, Brown’s play earned him NBA Finals MVP honors. “It was a full team effort,” said Brown while accepting his trophy. “I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime, Jayson Tatum. He was with me the whole way ... I’ve been grateful for every moment, every opportunity. I never hung my head.”

It would be the franchise’s 18th championship banner and its first after a 16-year drought. All the hot takes about being able to keep “The Jays” on the same roster were thought to be moot (or so they hoped) since they proved they were championship caliber.

The start of the end

With the same team pretty much intact, the Celtics were poised to march to another NBA Finals appearance in 2025, at the least. But after another, now routinely dominant season (Tatum earned First Team All-NBA honors), the unthinkable happened. In May 2025, during Game 4 of their Conference Semifinals matchup against the New York Knicks, Tatum went down with a ruptured Achilles. The already struggling Celtics would lose the series, and go home hoping that Tatum would return as the same All-Star player in about a year.

With Tatum out, many fans and analysts expected it to be an off year for the Celtics. But Jaylen Brown was having none of that. The high-flying wing player posted career-high averages in points (28.8), rebounds (7.0) and assists (5.2), which culminated with All-NBA Second Team honors, keeping the team on the path to a deep playoff run.

Some timelines said Tatum would take the whole year to rehab his Achilles for a return in the 2026-2027 season. However, Tatum managed to work his way back in March 2026, just in time to get ready for the playoffs. But the season would still end on a sour note. Despite being up 3-1 against the Sixers, the Celtics lost the series in seven games. Tatum did not play in Game 7 due to a knee injury.

That’s how the Brown and Tatum era would come to an unceremonious end. After an off-season of game commentary from Brown and the team, and trade speculation (with little heard from Tatum), in July 2026 the Celtics shipped the man they drafted back in 2016 to the Philadelphia Sixers in exchange for Paul George and draft picks.

What's beef?

The status of Brown and Tatum’s relationship was a topic of discussion both before and after the trade. On Oct. 22, 2026, Tatum dropped "The Sit Down" from his “Summer of Jayson” YouTube series. Although it was an 8-minute long interview, everyone was soon focused on the “cap” emoji — as in denoting a lie — that Brown posted below a quick Instagram clip. In the video, Tatum said he had no idea about the trade that sent Brown to a conference rival and claimed he found out about it at the same time as the rest of the world.

After becoming the focus of social media, Brown closed the door on any celebratory reunions as his post-Celtics career began. When asked about Tatum by reporters, Brown asserted that there was no beef, but the rivalry is very much on—and he used culinary terms. “There's no beef," said Brown in the now widely circulated clip. "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. It's no beef, but it might be a little lamb chops. And some gravy. He should stay ready at all times."

While it seems like their fallout is recent, according to former teammate Jeff Teague, there was always “tension” between Brown and Tatum thanks to their competitive natures.

"When I was there with the Celtics, there was always some tension. It wasn't bad tension. It was competitive tension," he reportedly said on his "Club 520" podcast. "JB was the No. 3 pick, JT came the next year as the No. 3 pick. [Tatum] started immediately and [Brown] had to work for his. [There was] just a little competitive beef, like, 'Oh, they think he's better than me.'"

What’s next between Brown and Tatum? It’s anyone’s guess, but expect “The Jays” to go at it, professionally of course.