Jayson Tatum told Chris Mannix in 2024 that he regretted not being more publicly vocal in support of Jaylen Brown during trade discussions involving the Boston Celtics.
Former Celtics teammate Evan Turner, meanwhile, pushed back against claims that the two stars were never friends, describing their relationship as one built on mutual respect.
Mannix said Tatum had supported Brown behind the scenes, with people close to the forward maintaining that he had repeatedly told the Celtics the team was better with Brown on the roster. However, Tatum acknowledged that he wished he had expressed that support more publicly.
Turner also rejected the suggestion that the former teammates lacked a friendship during their time in Boston. He recalled seeing Tatum and Brown greet each other and show mutual respect, saying there was no underlying conflict between them.
“There’s no real beef here. There’s no real foundational beef,” Turner said. He described them as “two alphas walking on a different path,” rather than former teammates whose relationship had been defined by animosity.
The comments come amid renewed attention to the relationship between Tatum and Brown following their separation.
A social media exchange involving a blue hat emoji posted by Brown appeared to challenge Tatum’s account that he was caught off guard by his trade to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Tatum previously said there was no animosity and that he remained open to a direct conversation.
Brown also downplayed the idea of a serious feud, while joking that some tension could remain.
