Something clearly appears to have changed between Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. Nearly a decade of playing together in Boston did not seem to mean much when the former teammates crossed paths on Tuesday night.

Their first regular-season matchup as opponents since Brown’s blockbuster trade to Philadelphia quickly became a talking point, and one particular moment before tip-off caught everyone’s attention. While Tatum appeared ready to greet his former teammate, Brown’s reaction, or lack thereof, left NBA fans with plenty to say.

Jaylen Brown’s Awkward Interaction With Jayson Tatum Gets NBA Fans Talking

The Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics faced off on Tuesday night, but the attention before tip-off was firmly on two familiar faces.

Just seconds before the game began, Tatum walked over to Brown and put his arm around his former teammate. However, Brown, who was busy spinning the basketball, did not appear to look at Tatum or acknowledge his presence.

The moment was particularly noticeable because Tatum appeared to have no problem greeting other players, receiving a warm embrace from LeBron James before the showdown, which made the contrast with his interaction with Brown even more striking.

Brown had already hinted before the game that he did not intend to speak with Tatum. So, the brief exchange was perhaps not entirely surprising.

Nonetheless, the hoop community could not help but react.

“Cold as ice,” LegionHoops commented.

“They let social media win,” Basketball Performances remarked.

Brown and Tatum have played together since 2017, helping the Celtics franchise establish itself as one of the league’s biggest contenders. They also shared the ultimate success of winning an NBA championship together in 2024.

However, things took a different turn this summer.

Brown was traded from Boston to Philadelphia on July 1, 2026, with the blockbuster deal officially going through on July 6. That trade apparently created some tension between the duo.

Interestingly, Tatum had previously played down suggestions of any serious tension between them. “There’s no beef,” he had said when addressing questions about their relationship.

Brown, meanwhile, had offered a rather interesting response when discussing their situation after the trade. “There’s no beef, but there might be a little lamb chops and some gravy,” he previously opined.

That comment certainly left room for interpretation, and Tuesday’s interaction has only added more fuel to the discussion.

SM Highlights shared another angle of the interaction, posting, “Another Look At Jayson Tatum And Jaylen Brown’s Interaction Here. Tatum Walks Up Trying To Clear The Air, And Brown Barely Gives Him Anything Back. Years Of Sharing A Locker Room, And Now It’s Come To This. Man, This Is Awkward.”

“Jaylen Brown IGNORED Jayson Tatum,” LakeShowYo tweeted.

“Nah Jaylen Brown lowkey a [expletive] for not acknowledging Tatum at all lmao,” one fan quipped.

Producer Hank Lockwood also questioned Brown’s approach, adding, “Embarrassing by Brown. Be a professional, Tatum isn’t the GM,” he wrote.

Adding to the situation, Shams Charania revealed on Tuesday on NBA Today that Brown and Tatum had not spoken since the former’s trade to Philadelphia. The insider shared the details about their last face-to-face conversation, which reportedly took place in France in late June.

“My understanding is Jaylen Brown confronted and approached Jayson Tatum at a dinner to discuss their future as a duo and where Jayson Tatum stood on all of it,” Charania explained. “It was described to me as a heart-to-heart between these two sides that multiple people witnessed in person.”

However, the most interesting part of the report was what happened afterward.

“Both of these guys, who’ve been together for about a decade together, they have not spoken since that trade,” Charania added.

That revelation made Tuesday’s pregame moment even more significant for fans watching the two former teammates share the court again.

Philadelphia entered the showdown with an impressive 9-2 record, while the Celtics came with a three-game winning streak. Tatum eventually had the last laugh as the Celtics won the game 123-101.