Jaylen Brown ignored Jayson Tatum’s attempt to greet him before tipoff on Tuesday, Nov. 10, in the first regular-season game between the former Boston teammates since the Celtics traded Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in July. Boston then won 123-101, behind 36 points from Paul George, the player the Celtics got back in the Brown trade, according to the NBA’s official box score. What happened between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum goes back to that trade: weeks of public sniping followed, and the two have reportedly not spoken since late June.
What did Brown and Tatum do before the game?
Very little, and none of it together. Both players skipped reporters at their morning shootarounds and during the 30-minute pregame locker room window, The Boston Globe reported. In warmups they shot at opposite baskets and did not interact, the same pattern the Globe saw when the 76ers visited TD Garden for a preseason game last month.
After the starting lineups were introduced, Tatum went to midcourt and offered Brown a tap on the shoulder and a thump on the chest. Brown ignored it, according to the AP report carried by ESPN, and Tatum moved on to hug LeBron James. NESN described the same moment in its live coverage.
How did the game go?
Boston led 30-23 after one quarter and 62-51 at halftime, and outscored Philadelphia 32-19 in the fourth, per the official line score. The gap came from the 3-point line. The Celtics made 22 of 49 threes while the 76ers made 11 of 37, according to NBA.com’s box score.
George, who spent two injury-hit seasons in Philadelphia, shot 14 of 22 with six 3-pointers. Tatum added 21 points, six rebounds and four assists. Brown played under 26 minutes, picked up four fouls and scored 13. NBC Sports Philadelphia noted he had two of those fouls in the first quarter. Tyrese Maxey led the 76ers with 24 points.
Why is there tension between them?
The two played nine seasons together and won the 2024 championship, with Brown named Finals MVP. Tatum tore his Achilles tendon in the 2025 playoffs, and Brown led Boston last season while Tatum recovered, ESPN and CBS Sports reported. Boston then traded Brown to Philadelphia in July for George and draft picks.
According to Charania on ESPN’s “NBA Today,” as relayed by Bleacher Report, the Celtics had offered Brown in a failed pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo. In late June, days before the 76ers deal, Brown approached Tatum at a dinner in France to talk about their future as a duo. Charania called it a “heart-to-heart” that multiple people witnessed and said Brown “didn’t leave that conversation knowing where his future was at.”
The public part started in late October. In his “Summer of Jayson” video series, Tatum said he was “just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world” by the trade. Brown replied with a cap emoji, slang for calling something a lie, CBS Sports and Boston.com reported. Tatum answered that “this ain’t no f—in’ Shaq and Kobe” and said there was no beef.
Brown answered after a 76ers win over the Bucks. “It’s no beef, but it might be a little lamb chop. And some gravy,” he said in CBS Sports’ transcription (Boston.com’s wording differs slightly). Both outlets quoted him saying Tatum has “a great PR team” and “should stay ready at all times.”
Did Brown demand a trade from the Celtics?
That claim has been walked back. Celtics broadcaster Brian Scalabrine said on SiriusXM that Brown went to the team with a list of demands. Before Boston’s next game, on NBC Sports Boston’s pregame show, he said Brown “technically didn’t demand any trade,” Boston.com reported. A representative for Brown told ESPN’s Kris Rhim the original claim was “10000% a lie,” and Rhim reported that after the Antetokounmpo deal fell through and Boston told Brown he would be traded anyway, Brown’s only request was input on where he went.
How does the trade look so far?
Both teams came into Tuesday at the top of the East, Philadelphia at 9-2 and Boston at 8-2, ESPN and NBA.com reported. The result moves Boston to 9-2 and drops the 76ers to 9-3. Here is a quick side-by-side of the two main pieces, using the averages reported before the game.
| Jaylen Brown (76ers) | Paul George (Celtics) | |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring before Nov. 10 | 22.3 points per game (NBA.com); Sporting News listed 21.6 | 20.4 points per game (ESPN, NBA.com) |
| Head-to-head on Nov. 10 | 13 points, 4 of 9 shooting, 4 fouls | 36 points, 14 of 22, six 3-pointers |
| Team record after Nov. 10 | 9-3 | 9-2 |
One game says little about a full season. If you follow this rivalry, the useful things to watch are the remaining meetings (Bleacher Report counts four regular-season games in all, so three remain) and whether either player addresses the snub directly. Brown said in Chicago on Sunday that there was “nothing to talk about” with Tatum. “He’s on his side; I’m on my side,” he said, per ESPN and Sporting News. No reconciliation has been reported.
FAQ
Did Jaylen Brown snub Jayson Tatum?
Yes. Before tipoff on Nov. 10, Tatum tried to dap up Brown at midcourt, and Brown ignored it, according to the AP and The Boston Globe.
Who won the Celtics vs. 76ers game?
The Celtics won 123-101 in Philadelphia. Paul George scored 36 points against his former team.
Why was Jaylen Brown traded to the 76ers?
Boston traded him in July for Paul George and draft picks. ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Celtics had first offered Brown in a failed pursuit of Giannis Antetokounmpo.
What did Jaylen Brown mean by “lamb chops and gravy”?
He was answering Tatum’s comment that there was no beef between them. Brown agreed there was “no beef” but said there “might be a little lamb chop,” which CBS Sports read as a shot at Tatum.
The Brown and Tatum standoff is among today’s trends news. For more NBA and NFL coverage, visit our Sports section.
Updated November 11, 2026