One of the biggest NBA talking points on Friday morning was Jaylen Brown publicly calling out his former Boston Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum on social media. While fans continue to discuss Brown’s unexpected reaction, former 7-Time NBA All-Star Joe Johnson has offered his thoughts on what might have prompted it.
Joe Johnson’s Explanation of the Reason Behind Jaylen Brown’s Comment
During a recent episode of the “Nightcap” podcast, Johnson joined Shannon Sharpe and Chad Johnson. At one point, the cast addressed Brown’s decision to publicly question Tatum’s comments about his departure from Boston.
Johnson believes Brown is still struggling to accept the trade that sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers. According to the former NBA star, leaving a franchise where he spent so many years and achieved considerable success is not something Brown can easily forget.
“It’s tough, bro. When y’all want a title together, y’all been so dominant together and you got to get rid of one guy. That’s tough on Jaylen. That’s tough, bro. Yeah, that’s probably a hurt, JB… He’ll probably never get over it,” Johnson said on the podcast.
However, Johnson also believes that the situation could give Brown additional motivation as he looks to move forward with his career in Philadelphia.
“But at the same time, he needs that fire in his belly to continue, you know, to continue to be great, you know, throughout his career because he’s gonna wear that on his sleeve, homeboy,” Johnson added.
The controversy began after Episode 3 of Tatum’s “Summer of Jayson” video series, titled “The Sit Down,” was uploaded to his YouTube channel. In the episode, Tatum took viewers through his training during the 2026 offseason. He also discussed Brown’s July trade from the Celtics to the 76ers.
“We were in Vegas. I just got done playing pick-up the first day. Shams walks over. He hands me the towel, and he’s like, ‘Yo, put this over your face. Don’t react. They just traded him.’ I’m like, ‘Oh [expletive]’ I’m like, ‘Where?’ He said, ‘Philly.’ ‘You traded him down the street?’ So, I was just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world,” Tatum said in his video.
Bleacher Report later shared the segment on Instagram, where it quickly began circulating among NBA fans. On Thursday night, Brown decided to respond. However, instead of posting a lengthy statement, the 76ers star left a single blue cap emoji in the comments section.
In internet slang, “cap” is commonly used to suggest that something is false or misleading. Brown’s reaction therefore appeared to indicate that he disagreed with at least part of what Tatum’s said in his video.
Brown’s journey with Boston began when the Celtics selected him with the third overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. A year later, the franchise drafted Tatum with the same pick. The two eventually spent nine seasons together.
Their partnership reached its peak in 2024 when they helped the Celtics defeat the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals, securing the franchise’s 18th championship. Brown also earned Finals MVP honors. Together, they reached five Eastern Conference Finals and made two NBA Finals appearances.
For now, Brown has not offered a detailed explanation of his Instagram reaction. However, Johnson believes the disappointment surrounding his departure from Boston could linger for a long time.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.