Tracy McGrady compared the anticipation surrounding Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown’s first meeting as opponents to the buildup of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s first matchup after their split.
Brown, now with the Philadelphia 76ers, is scheduled to return to TD Garden on Jan. 21 for the first time since his offseason trade from Boston.
Speaking with Vince Carter on Cousins, McGrady said he was looking forward to the game but refused to speculate about the relationship between the former Celtics teammates.
“Regardless of what’s going on between these two guys, we all don’t know,” McGrady said. “So I’m not going to speculate.”
Instead, he focused on their history together and the significance of their first meeting as opponents. Tatum and Brown accomplished a lot during their time together in Boston, but McGrady said the situation had reached a point where the players needed to focus on competing.
McGrady also urged Tatum to put the public discussion aside and prepare for the matchup, warning that Brown would be ready to compete. “JB coming to hoop,” he said.
The former NBA star then recalled the anticipation surrounding O’Neal and Bryant’s first meeting after O’Neal left the Lakers, particularly their interaction at the opening jump ball.
“I mean, it started from the handshake at the jump ball,” McGrady said, recalling that the two did not look at each other. McGrady also mentioned the lack of interaction between Tatum and Brown during a preseason game, describing it as part of the buildup to their regular-season meeting.
The Celtics and 76ers are scheduled to meet four times in 2026-27. Their first game is Nov. 10 in Philadelphia, while Brown’s first return to Boston is set for Jan. 21 at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Philadelphia is 7-1, with Brown averaging 20.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.3 assists through seven games. Boston is 5-2, with Tatum posting 27.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game.
