Jayson Tatum knows it feels weird not to be playing with Jaylen Brown anymore

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Jayson Tatum knows it feels weird not to be playing with Jaylen Brown anymore image

Mar 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) and forward Jayson Tatum (0) congratulate each other in the final seconds of the fourth quarter of their win over the Oklahoma City Thunder at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-Imagn Images

For his entire career in the NBA, Jayson Tatum has played alongside Jaylen Brown. They are only one year apart, as Tatum was drafted in 2017 while Brown was drafted the year before.

They have been a duo for a long time, but now, they are rivals. Tatum is still with the Boston Celtics, while Jaylen Brown will be playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, a bitter rival that just eliminated them in the 2026 Playoffs.

Jayson Tatum knows it's bizarre not playing alongside Jaylen Brown anymore

For a long time, people tried to create some discord between Tatum and Brown. However, they persevered and continued to be two of the best players in the league. They were among the most talented duos, which is why they reached two NBA Finals together.

They won the second one in 2024, with Brown winning Finals MVP. While some players might have had problems with that, Tatum did not have any issue with his longtime teammate winning the award.

MORE: How the Celtics had different perspectives on both Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum

That also sparked the big contract extensions they had to sign, which would eventually be the reason why they parted ways. The Celtics now want more flexibility, and that was the primary reasoning behind the trade.

"If I'm being transparent, it's weird. I've been on the Celtics for 9 years, and he was my teammate every single one of those. You understand that throughout the course of a career that the NBA is a business," Tatum said about the Brown trade at the 2026 ESPY Awards.

"There's still a human element to it that you feel those emotions, the city feels those emotions, but there's also a side of it like we have to welcome our new teammates with open arms."

Tatum is ready to push forward without Brown. Now that he is the sole star, he has more responsibilities, now. It seems he is prepared for the pressure, but it will be a jarring sight when he plays without Brown as his running mate.