BOSTON

Jayson Tatum addressed the public narrative surrounding his relationship with Jaylen Brown on Friday night, denying any animosity after Brown's trade to the Philadelphia 76ers.

Tatum spoke during his postgame news conference following the Celtics' 107-103 victory over the New York Knicks in Boston's home opener. The comments came after Brown posted a blue hat emoji on Instagram earlier in the week—slang for untruthfulness—in response to Tatum's YouTube video in which Tatum said he was "just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world" by Brown's trade this summer.

"I don't have any animosity or beef or ill will towards him," Tatum said.

Tatum expressed frustration with the focus on their relationship since Brown's departure. "The frustrating part is since he's not on the Celtics anymore, the narrative or conversations haven't been enough about what we accomplished, all the games we won, winning the championship, how we've grown together," he said.

Brown and Tatum led the Celtics to an NBA Finals victory over Dallas in 2024. They also reached the Finals in 2022 and appeared in five Eastern Conference finals in eight years together. Brown was drafted by Boston in 2016; Tatum joined a year later.

Tatum explicitly dismissed comparisons to other NBA feuds. "This ain't no Shaq and Kobe," he said, referencing the documented issues between Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers. "There's no beef, it's not about that. It should be more praise. I understand drama gets clicks and views, but I'm not really into that."

Tatum said he reached out to Brown the day of the trade. "I called, I texted," he said. "I understand people process things differently. At this point in our lives, we're too old to be having our relationship discussed on the internet."

He expressed openness to direct conversation. "If there's a conversation to be had, we can definitely have the conversation. I welcome that. I've always wanted the best for him, wished the best for him."

The two teams met in a preseason game in Boston in early October, where reports indicated Tatum and Brown did not interact during warmups. They play again Nov. 10 in Philadelphia.