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By Matthew Couden
Contributing Writer
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The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics met for the first time this NBA season on Tuesday night, with a spotlight on Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum during their awkward pregame interaction.
As the Celtics and 76ers' starters took the court for the contest, players hugged and dapped one another, except for the two former teammates. Brown was playing around with the basketball and trying to spin it on one finger as Tatum walked over and gave him a tap on the arm, then several taps on the chest.
Brown appeared not to acknowledge his former teammate's greeting, adding another intriguing moment to the matchup between potential Eastern Conference contenders. Brown, who earned 2025 NBA Finals MVP honors with the Celtics, was traded this offseason to the 76ers in a major move, leaving him disappointed and frustrated with the way things went down.
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Fans on social media reacted to the apparent snub, leaving comments on a popular X account's post highlighting the eyebrow-raising interaction between the former teammates.
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"What a child. Respect to Tatum for being a grown man about it," one commenter said, ripping Brown's pregame behavior.
A commenter wrote, "Bro no way he’s trying to force beef watch Tatum drop 30 on his head."
"Jaylen Brown gave Tatum the same energy you give a coworker you spot in the grocery store," someone suggested.
Other commenters wrote about Brown, "So weird bro, he’s acting like an absolute baby," and "Trying to be the villain so bad man."
Brown has expressed his frustration with the trade multiple times, and speculation has continued about his fractured relationship with Tatum, whom he won the championship alongside in 2024.
The back-and-forth comments between the two teammates were on full display far ahead of this matchup, including Brown commenting "cap" on a video highlighting Tatum's reaction to the Celtics trade and Tatum commenting at length about the situation, saying he had no "ill will" toward Brown. At an ensuing press conference, Tatum said he was done discussing the topic further.
Brown and Tatum reportedly hadn't spoken to one another since addressing their relationship in various interviews or appearances this offseason. Brown seemingly had no plans to approach Tatum before Tuesday night's matchup in Philadelphia.
"I mean, he's on his side, I'm on my side. We're playing basketball. Both of us are trying to win. So it's nothing to talk about. Let's check the ball up," he told reporters, per ESPN.
At halftime, Tatum and the Celtics were winning the head-to-head matchup. Tatum had 13 points, four rebounds, and a block at halftime. His new teammate, Paul George, who came to the Celtics in the Brown trade, had a team-high 17 points along with four rebounds and an assist to help the Celtics take a 62-51 lead.
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