Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown ignored each other before Celtics-76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics played a preseason game on Saturday. While Jayson Tatum scored 23 points in a 144-106 Celtics win, his former teammate, Jaylen Brown , did not dress for the game. He was however on the floor before the game to get some shots up at the same time as Tatum. In fact, they were close enough to be captured on video not interacting.

It's the kind of clip that has people convinced Brown and Tatum were not close. And even if they used to be close, that's gone. In a league where fraternizing with the enemy has become the norm, Brown and Tatum appear to want nothing to do with each other.

The Jays warm up on opposite sides of the court for the first time — Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 10, 2026

The Jays warm up on opposite sides of the court for the first time

Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 10, 2026

And don't think this is just one moment being intentionally framed as two ex-teammates ignoring each other. If they had talked, there would be video. If they had said hello after the game the NBA would have posted video. We know that because they did post video of Paul George talking to Joel Embiid and Tacko Fall chatting with Jayson Tatum.

Paul George 🤝 Joel EmbiidJayson Tatum 🤝 Tacko FallFormer teammates catch up in Boston postgame! — NBA (@NBA) October 11, 2026

Paul George 🤝 Joel EmbiidJayson Tatum 🤝 Tacko FallFormer teammates catch up in Boston postgame!

That makes the lack of interaction between Tatum and Brown feel extra icy. The teams will meet again in Philadelphia on Friday night. Their first regular season meeting will come a few weeks later on Nov. 10. That game will be broadcast on NBC and their handshakes or lack thereof will definitely be a conversation.

Brown and Tatum shared a locker room for nine seasons. They won the NBA championship together in 2024.