Brown appears to give Tatum cold shoulder in first matchup since trade

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

Jaylen Brown appears to give Jayson Tatum cold shoulder in first matchup since trade from Celtics to 76ers

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Nov 11, 2026 8:13 AM ET

It appears Philadelphia 76ers guard Jaylen Brown and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum aren't on great terms.

Before the 76ers hosted the Celtics at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Tuesday night, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Brown and Tatum had a "heart-to-heart" meeting in France this summer before Boston sent the guard to Philadelphia in a stunning blockbuster trade. He added they hadn't spoken since.

Tatum seemingly admitted in July that they grew distant before the trade but indicated they remain friends. However, they didn't act like old chums before Tuesday night's game.

Jaylen Brown appears to give Jayson Tatum the cold shoulder

When Tatum walked onto the floor before tipoff, Brown seemed to ignore him. He kept spinning a basketball on his finger instead of acknowledging him, even when he tapped him on his chest.

Tatum didn't seem bothered. Instead, he gave Sixers forward LeBron James a big hug, like he was the one he'd played with for nine of his 10 NBA seasons.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum before tipoff.

( NBC) pic.twitter.com/gs8XPSPQZT
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 11, 2026

"I'm just focused on coming out and doing what's best for my team," 11-year veteran Brown said of the interaction postgame. "Credit to Jayson, he played well."

Jaylen Brown on ignoring Jayson Tatum ahead of the game

“I’m just focused on coming out and doing what’s best for my team. Credit to Jayson, he played well.” pic.twitter.com/IMmG6Xpv6o
— Kris Rhim (@krisrhim1) November 11, 2026

Sometimes players are so zoned in that they enter a zen-like state and forget their surroundings. But after Brown ignored Tatum again, it's fair to ask whether there's some beef.

Brown greeted multiple Celtics postgame. Tatum wasn't among them.

Jaylen Brown dapped up all his former teammates except Tatum pic.twitter.com/vduyQAGkGB
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 11, 2026

Tatum, unsurprisingly, didn't want to answer questions about Brown. He instead wanted to applaud the Celtics for a 123-101 win.

"It's not about [he and Brown]," Tatum said. "Tonight was a good team win. [Paul George] was incredible. That's all there really is to talk about."

Jayson Tatum was asked about his interactions, or lack thereof, with Jaylen Brown:

“It’s not about that. Tonight was a good team win. PG was incredible. That’s all that there is really to talk about.” pic.twitter.com/W5s1B3B0r6
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) November 11, 2026

George scored a game-high 36 points, while Tatum had 21. Brown logged 13. The Celtics improved to 9-2, while the 76ers fell to 9-3.

It seems like George and Tatum are getting along. Many wouldn't say the same for him and Brown.

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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