Philadelphia 76ers’ newest star, Jaylen Brown, is bracing for some awkwardness when he’s face-to-face with Jayson Tatum and Joe Mazzulla. He may have just hinted that he’s joining the Sixers on a preseason return to the TD Garden. He offered a colorful and candid metaphor to describe his emotions heading into tomorrow’s exhibition matchup against his former team, the Boston Celtics.
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Streaming live to fans on Twitch, the Celtics’ 2024 NBA Finals MVP reflected on the surreal feeling of preparing to face the franchise that drafted him a decade ago. The most entertaining part of his viral quote was likening the upcoming reunion to bumping into a romantic ex-partner in public.
“It’s just life,” Brown responded to fans’ questions about playing against the Celtics. “It’s like running into your ex out in public… Like, damn, we used to go together. You feel me? And you just look at ’em and just be like ‘DANG’ and you just gotta go about your business. You feel me? It’s facts, though… it is what it is.”
Despite a bitter buildup with comments in the media and rumors about a frosty locker room in Boston, the blockbuster trade on July 1 sent shockwaves through the league when the Celtics sent Brown to Philadelphia in exchange for veteran forward Paul George, two future first-round draft picks, and two second-round picks. The sudden move ended Brown’s tenured decade in Boston, where he earned five All-Star nods, two All-NBA selections, and won the 2024 championship alongside Jayson Tatum.
With the 76ers and Celtics set to clash in a Saturday preseason battle in Boston, Brown’s return to Boston represents a poignant shift as he navigates TD Garden’s visitor’s locker room for the very first time in his professional career.
Although head coach Nick Nurse indicated that key veterans like Brown, LeBron James, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey might sit out the preseason road leg following heavy workloads earlier in the week, Boston media and the Celtics fanbase have been eager to watch Brown’s return inside TD Garden regardless of the jersey he has on.
The transaction marked a dramatic pivot for both Eastern Conference contenders. Boston traded away a core pillar coming off a Game 7 playoff series between the two rivals last May. While Brown was initially caught off guard by the front-office decision and voiced frustrations regarding how his departure was communicated, members of the Celtics organization have maintained deep reverence for his contributions both on and off the court.
Celtics forward Sam Hauser emphasized that Brown’s legacy in Boston extends well beyond his championship ring and scoring accolades.
“I think he should be remembered as one of the greatest Celtics there’s ever been,” Hauser said. “He accomplished a lot here, had a lot of success, a lot of winning, got to the mountaintop. Then I think his impact off the court is honestly bigger than what he did on the court. I think overall nobody should view him in any other light than a very impactful one, for the city of Boston and the Celtics.”
Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens echoed that sentiment while speaking to the media at this past summer speaking engagement, hinting that Brown’s No. 7 jersey will likely hang in the Garden rafters one day. Head coach Joe Mazzulla also praised Brown’s willingness to embrace civic responsibility during his ten seasons in New England.
“He took on the pressure, the expectation, and the responsibility of what it means to be a role model, to take on things like injustices,” Mazzulla noted. “His playing career speaks for itself, Finals MVP and everything he did for us there. But I think just taking on the dual role of being just as impactful off the floor as he was on the floor was the biggest thing.”
Counter narratives about Brown acting like the “smartest guy in the room,” Luka Garza said, “He always carried himself in the right way, came to play every single night. He was an awesome teammate, a fun guy to go out there to go to battle with, and so I really, really enjoyed my experience playing with him. I feel like I learned so much from him, and yeah, I think will be remembered in high honor, as he should be.”
As the Celtics usher in a new era anchored by Paul George, Mitchell Robinson, and Mike Conley Jr., alongside Jayson Tatum, and as the 76ers integrate Brown alongside LeBron, Embiid, and Maxey, Saturday’s reunion serves as a compelling prelude to the regular season. The two teams will not play a meaningful regular-season contest in Boston until January 21, but for Brown, seeing his former home court from the opposing bench remains a classic moment of running into a past life.