Even before Jaylen Brown’s trade, NBA insiders and analysts claimed there was a rift between him and Jayson Tatum. After the former Finals MVP joined the 76ers, those reports only grew louder. Tatum never hinted at any issues between them.

Now, a former Celtics teammate who spent four seasons in Boston says the two stars never “disliked” each other. He also pushed back against what he called false narratives created by the national media.

“And I think that a lot of the current national media to be able to have those conversations is to create the story, rather than just allow those players to have success and really to enjoy, said Grant Williams on SiriusXM NBA Radio. “Like you saw it back in the day with you know Kobe and Shaq you saw a lot and maybe they didn’t like each other. But you saw it in other situations, and sometimes you’re competitors, and you want to have the best career individually.

“But also you can bring the best out of someone else beside you. And I think that’s what it was for those two, that they had respect for one another, they enjoyed being around one another when they’re on the court, as well as they didn’t have any disdain for one another off the floor. So that’s something I can just vividly say is that I don’t think those guys disliked each other at all.”

Appearing in 349 games, including the postseason, over four seasons, Williams spent plenty of time in the Celtics’ locker room and had a firsthand view of the relationship between Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. In fact, the former Celtic described his bond with Tatum as “brotherly.”

Williams also consistently defended the Tatum–Brown partnership against criticism. In a 2022 interview, he called them the NBA’s best duo and credited their work ethic and complementary skills as key reasons for Boston’s success. While Williams insists there were no issues between the two stars, media reports have often suggested otherwise.

ESPN senior insider Shams Charania reported on The Stephen A. Smith Show last month that the personal relationship between the Boston duo was “nonexistent.”

“Like on the court, they were great. But like over the last year or so that personal relationship it was as close to like you know not existent as you could have. But on the court they were amazing, hardworking professionals together.”

Kendrick Perkins used this report to double down on his analysis of the issues between Jaylen Brown and Tatum. The former Celtics champion had previously suggested that Brown’s livestreams created tension between him and some of the franchise legends.

Perkins’ observations about the reported rift came roughly two months before the trade, suggesting he believed the off-court disconnect predated the move.

“I’m still waiting on Jayson Tatum to join Jaylen Brown’s stream. Like Jayson Tatum, I’ve seen him on a million podcasts, but I haven’t seen him join Jaylen Brown’s. Which shows me that relationship off the floor ain’t really there.”

But Jayson Tatum never revealed to harbor any hard feelings. After the deal, he thanked Brown on Instagram, stating “nothing but love and respect” for his longtime teammate.