PHILADELPHIA — Jaylen Brown expressed three consistent sentiments throughout his statements following the stunning trade that sent him from the Celtics to the Sixers just over one month ago. His admiration for the city of Boston. His frustration with the Celtics organization. And his assurance that more will be revealed in time. Not much more emerged than that from his introductory press conference on Friday, but Brown signaled some iciness between himself and Jayson Tatum in at least the aftermath of their nearly decade-long partnership.
Asked by CLNS Media whether they’ve spoken since Brown’s departure — Brown said not really.
“We won a championship together,” Brown said. “Anybody that you win a championship (with), you would think that’s what a brotherhood or a lifelong legacy would entail. Obviously, there are ups-and-downs in any type of relationship for sure, but on my end, it’s nothing but respect. Besides when he plays the Sixers, I hope he does well, but other than that, everything for me was based in respect.”
Brown affirmed respect on his end toward Tatum through natural ups-and-downs in any relationship, the closest either has come since their journey began as teammates in June, 2017 to acknowledging any strife between them.
He otherwise attempted to move on during his roughly 20-minute media session, declining to elaborate on his issues with how the Celtics handled his trade saga, which began in June when Giannis Antetokounmpo became available, but reportedly stretched back to at least the trade deadline. Brown looked forward to playing for Philadelphia, teaming up with LeBron James and Joel Embiid, learning more about VJ Edgecombe.
Young 76ers fans lined up to greet Brown, who strolled into a hot recreation center gym in West Philadelphia behind schedule. His mother, brother and grandfather, celebrating his birthday, joined him and took photos on stage. As did members of Philadelphia’s front office and ownership, the mascot, numerous fans in attendance between a local organization and season ticket holders. One shouted out after Brown revealed that he and Tatum hadn’t spoken that nothing needs to be said.
“The whole process (bothered me),” Brown said of the trade saga. “But to be honest, my mind is so focused on what’s in front of me. To be honest, I’m moving on. Maybe one day, we share the details of how everything transpired and all the moving parts that took place in this. Obviously, it’s a lot of speculation, I feel no need to chime in on it because I’m focused on what’s in front of me.”
The scene still appeared surreal for Brown, wishing Tatum well aside from when they play again, holding up a blue No. 7 uniform and discussing how his new team became one of the most star-studded superteam in NBA history. Only Dominick Barlow and Jabari Walker attended Brown’s introduction among Philadelphia’s players. Later, Brown met Tyrese Maxey at his event on Thursday night. He also threw out the first pitch at the Phillies game — sporting the red pinstripes and throwing just high-and-outside from in front of the mound.
More concrete details came from Sixers president Mike Gansey, suddenly a hero in the city happy to hold court in the middle of the gymnasium floor before speaking to reporters on the side shortly after. Gansey remembered Philadelphia entering the mix for Brown around the time they signed Dean Wade, at one point a projected starter. He and Brad Stevens exchanged calls throughout a long process he credited the Celtics for keeping quiet. The Paul George and picks for Brown swap stunned the basketball world.
“It was a process of talking to them, going back-and-forth,” Gansey said. “We just kept at it. Boston kept calling, we kept calling to try to figure something out. Credit Brad. We kept this thing quiet. They got Paul. Paul still can really play. He helped, I know, the Sixers last year beat Boston in the playoffs and they got some picks that can be very valuable, so I thought they got a lot of value as well. We’re just excited to have Jaylen. (2028) I think will be a pretty good draft, but obviously to get a good player, especially of the caliber of Jaylen, you gotta give up a lot and I think Boston got a lot from us and we’re excited to have Jaylen.”
It left many fans searching for answers in the aftermath that Stevens and Boston’s brass supplied mostly through cap concerns while also acknowledging the significant usage both stars filled. The Celtics liked the return, favored a youth and depth movement, albeit while acknowledging the challenge in replacing Brown. Stevens wore the difficult decision, Bill Chisholm distanced himself, recalling Stevens needing to convince him, while Joe Mazzulla and Tatum later said the team did not consult them in the move. Addressing disrespect that Brown shared at the time, Stevens hoped that he did not feel that way. Tatum, who shared a goodbye message for Brown on his Instagram story, did not speak to reporters during his brief time in Las Vegas during Summer League.
Other players who did over the past month, including Jordan Walsh, Neemias Queta and Ron Harper Jr. balanced appreciation for Brown’s mentorship alongside everyone’s desire to move forward. A protracted wait between the move and Brown’s introduction left many fans exasperated by the everlasting storyline. One that’s not going anywhere ahead of six Celtics-76ers meetings between the preseason and regular season.
Brown, beloved in Boston for his connection and work within the community, chose a public-facing location to set a tone for his next one. The 7uice Foundation logo, notably black-and-white without its former hint of green, hung on the padded walls around the court. Children lined up outside hoping for a glimpse of the star, counting down his rumored arrival time amongst each other. Others lamented a missed opportunity to meet him when he departed, but assured themselves that he would’ve given the time.
“I look back at the city of Boston and I’m grateful,” Brown reflected. “I’ve been able to develop as a man, as a human being there. Ispent a lot of time in the community, a lot of time at universities, studying, learning, figuring out how to approach, how I wanted to go about my philanthropy, figuring out how to approach, how I wanted to carry myself. A lot of my most important years, my most developmental years as a young man, I spent in Boston. I got there at 19, so I didn’t do a four-year degree, because I left early. I got my degree in Boston in a sense.”
“The relationships are still there, the connections are still there. I’m looking forward to continuing my foundation work, as well as expanding it to Philadelphia. I’m very grateful for my experience, my tenure in Boston. 10 years is a perfect cycle, perfect number for completion. We won a championship and I have nothing but respect for the city of Boston, but now it’s time to move forward.”
