BOSTON — When the lights were brightest on Friday night, Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum arguably had his best game since returning from an Achilles rupture in March. The six-time All-Star diced up the reigning champion New York Knicks at TD Garden, recording a game-high 36 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 7 assists during a thrilling 107-103 win. However, instead of fielding questions solely about his stellar performance, Tatum had to address the emoji heard 'round the world.
On Thursday night, Tatum posted the third episode of his "Summer of Jayson" video series to YouTube. It featured a clip of him discussing the moment he learned former Celtics star Jaylen Brown had been traded to the rival Philadelphia 76ers. Tatum mentioned that he was shocked by the move, but Brown seemed to think otherwise, replying to the clip on Instagram with a baseball cap emoji — calling the statement "cap," or a lie. There was no further comment from Tatum's ex-partner in crime, yet the single emoji was enough to set Twitter ablaze and reignite talk of their being beef between the pair of 2024 NBA champions.
Did Tatum orchestrate Brown's departure from Boston? Do the perennial All-Stars hate each other? Who is to blame for this offseason breakup?
Tatum didn't have enough time at the podium on Friday to address every one of these narratives. But, he did spend almost 3 minutes responding to the emoji debacle when asked for his reaction.
"I'm not much of an off-the-court entertainer type of guy, and for me, I don't have any animosity or beef or ill will towards him," Tatum began. "The frustrating part is since he's not on the Celtics anymore, the narrative or the conversations haven't been enough about what we accomplished, all the games we won, winning the championship, how we've grown together. And it's turned into this drama type of thing."
Jayson Tatum had a lengthy response to Jaylen Brown commenting a “cap” emoji under his video. I recommend watching the whole video:
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) October 24, 2026
“The frustrating part is since he's not on the Celtics anymore, the narrative or the conversations haven't been enough about what we accomplished,… pic.twitter.com/1hztCN5pJx
In the 9 years Tatum and Brown played together, they reached five Eastern Conference Finals, two NBA Finals, and even won a title in 2024. They both belong in the top-10 of the Celtics' all-time scoring list and could have their jerseys hoisted to the rafters of TD Garden.
So, to say their on-court partnership was fruitful might be an understatement.
"Y'all kind of saw us grow up and everything that we accomplished, and I don't want that to be in the rearview mirror of what's being talked about," Tatum told the media. "It should be celebrated, right? How many people played in this league and never went to the Finals? We went twice and won a championship. So, it should be more about that."
Given the fact that Tatum and Brown are on rival teams now and have been involved (largely unwillingly) in rumors intent on dividing them for several years, it may be difficult to salvage their relationship in the near future. Yet, Tatum still hopes it can be done with a candid conversation.
"I’ve always wanted the best for him and wished the best for him," Tatum said. "I've seen all these things about ‘get your popcorn ready when they play,’ it’s not a (expletive) boxing match...Again, there's no animosity. There's no beef...There's not enough communication, and I think a conversation would solve or put out a lot of fires."
When or if that sit-down happens remains to be seen. The Celtics and Sixers face each other for the first time this regular season on Tuesday, Nov. 10, and Tatum doesn't want that highly-anticipated contest to be a grudge match.
"This ain't no (expletive) Shaq and Kobe," Tatum said in reference to the infamous feud between Los Angeles Lakers stars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant. "It's not about that. It should be more praise, and I understand that doesn't necessarily sell. Drama gets clicks and views, but...that's not my thing."
Brown will likely be asked about Tatum's comments in the next 24 hours or so. He could answer with a cold shoulder or animosity, which Tatum would understand to some degree due to the shocking nature of the offseason trade.
"I reached out to him the day he got traded," Tatum recalled. "I called him, I texted him, and I understand people process things differently."
Or, like Tatum, Brown could take the high road and settle this confusing situation before they suit up against one another in Philly. After all, Tatum did sound willing to chat with him in private, away from mics and media narratives.
I’ve already seen Jayson Tatum’s answer to Jaylen Brown’s IG comment get taken out of context.
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) October 24, 2026
So here’s the entire transcript of the quote: pic.twitter.com/ki8pzNNYR3
"There's a conversation to be had," Tatum stated. "We can definitely have that conversation. I welcome that."
No matter what happens, Tatum will remain focused on improving the record of the 1-1 Celtics and, most importantly, taking care of his family.
"I got two kids," Tatum said in an almost exasperated manner. "At this point in our lives, we’re too old to be having our relationship discussed, X, Y, and Z, on the Internet."
Listen to "Havlicek Stole the Pod" on:
Blue Wire: https://tiny.ee/CdKp
iTunes: https://tiny.ee/RK47
YouTube: https://tiny.ee/cOW3
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jayson Tatum defuses supposed beef with former teammate Jaylen Brown