Jayson Tatum denies 'beef' with Jaylen Brown after trade - ESPN

BOSTON — There's been rings and failures, innuendos, rumors and internet emojis, and finally, a trade that ended the Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown partnership in Boston.

Tatum spent most of his postgame news conference Friday night addressing Brown sending out a «cap» emoji on Instagram in response to Tatum saying in a video on his YouTube channel that he was «just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world» by Brown's trade to the Philadelphia 76ers this summer.

Asked if he had any response to Brown's social media comment, Tatum sighed before expressing his frustrations with the entire situation for several minutes.

«I don't have any animosity or beef or ill will towards him,» Tatum said following the Celtics' 107-103 win over the New York Knicks in Boston's home opener. «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, right?»

Brown was drafted in 2016, Tatum a year later. Together, they helped the Celtics to a Finals win over Dallas in 2024, another Finals appearance in 2022 and the Eastern Conference finals in five of eight years.

Whenever the Celtics underachieved in the playoffs, there were rumors about their relationship and speculation over whether the Celtics would trade one over the other. At times, the partnership felt awkward, but Tatum believes so much has been sensationalized.

«This ain't no f---ing Shaq and Kobe,» Tatum said, referring to the highly publicized issues Shaquille O'Neal and the late Kobe Bryant had during their eight years together on the Los Angeles Lakers. «There's no beef, it's not about that. It should be more praise. I