Philadelphia 76ers swingman Jaylen Brown was not in the mood to make up with Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum before their first-ever competitive NBA clash.

Brown was drafted by the Celtics in 2016 before Tatum was selected in 2017 to form what would become a championship-winning duo in 2024. After years of rumours about the tension between the two star players, the Celtics chose to retain Tatum this summer while trading Brown to the 76ers.

The months since Brown’s trade have been messy, especially in terms of the relationship Brown shares with the team he won a Finals MVP for as well as his relationship with Tatum. This was on full display on November 10.

Jaylen Brown snubs Jayson Tatum’s attempt at an embrace

Before the Celtics picked up the 123-101 win over the 76ers, the former Celtics stars had an opportunity to embrace on the court before the game. However, Brown was seen on camera brushing Tatum’s attempt at a hug off.

Brown addressed the incident after the game, explaining why he chose to ignore embracing Tatum at the time.

“I’m just focused on coming out and doing what’s best for my team… To be honest, I wasn’t paying attention. But credit to Jayson, he played well tonight.“

Tatum ended the game with 21 points on 8/17 FG, while Brown had a rough night with just 13 points and five rebounds.

Brown is averaging 21.5 points and 6.5 rebounds with the 76ers so far, adjusting to the star-heavy team and finding his footing as the second lead option behind guard Tyrese Maxey.

Tatum is the sole star on the Celtics, averaging 26.5 points, 7.4 assists and 6.0 rebounds. While he has an elite co-star like Paul George, who scored 36 points to beat the 76ers, he does not have the off-court challenges he had in years past with an alpha lead option like Brown.