76ers' Jaylen Brown compares playing the Celtics to 'running into your ex'

Philadelphia 76ers guard Jaylen Brown. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

76ers' Jaylen Brown compares playing the Celtics to 'running into your ex'

By Paul White | Last updated Oct 9, 2026 8:57 PM ET

All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown spent the first 10 seasons of his career with the Boston Celtics before they shipped him away this offseason. They traded him to the Philadelphia 76ers, his longtime rival, and will now have to face him four times each season.

Brown had countless playoff battles against the 76ers and now has to learn how to turn that vitriol toward Boston. He makes his first regular-season trip back to the place where his career began on Nov. 10, but he could make an awkward return within the next week, as the two teams face off in Philadelphia’s final two preseason games.

The 2024 NBA Finals MVP has spoken extensively about the surprising breakup between him and the Celtics, and with a potential matchup on the horizon, he’s harping on it again.

Jaylen Brown speaks about going against Celtics for the first time

Brown spoke about what it will be like to go to battle against his old team on a livestream Friday night, saying, “It’s like running into your ex out in public, like dang we used to go together.”

Jaylen Brown says the Celtics are like an ex-girlfriend:

"It’s like running into your ex, like dang we used to go together and you look at them and just like dang.”

(h/t @MindOfBron) pic.twitter.com/TR2BvtG9o9
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 9, 2026

After helping lead the franchise to two Finals appearances and one championship in the last five seasons, it was surprising to see Boston send Brown to a familiar opponent. Especially after he led the team to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference while his co-star Jayson Tatum missed most of the season recovering from a torn Achilles.

Brown has flashed the efficient, versatile scoring in the preseason that has become a staple of his game. He is currently averaging 20 points per game on 59.1% shooting from the floor and 50% from three-point range in the preseason, so he could have a continuation of last year’s MVP-caliber campaign.

If Brown continues playing like this in Philadelphia, then he could make the Celtics pay every time he faces them.

Paul White

Paul White is a contract writer from Philadelphia who attended Penn State University. He has contributed hundreds of stories about the NFL and NBA over the years and now brings that experience over to Yardbarker. He is a lifelong Philadelphia sports fan looking to bring the same passion from his city to sports media.

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