The “Jays” are no more.
After nearly a decade together leading the Celtics, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown parted ways this week when the latter was traded to the 76ers.
And days after the deal, Tatum took to his Instagram story Friday to pen a heartwarming message for Brown.
“9 years! Forever grateful for all that we accomplished together, for pushing me to be a better player,” Tatum began.
“From first-round exits to winning a chip together, I’m thankful for it all. Nothing but love and respect for you as a player and as a person.
“Looking forward to see how you attack this next chapter of your career and wish nothing but the best for you! Continue to be special!
The message was overlaid on a photo of Tatum and Brown early in their Celtics tenures, which marked an incredibly consistent era for the franchise.
The pair made five trips to the Conference Finals together, two trips to the NBA Finals and won one championship, when they beat the Mavericks in 2024.
However, things have taken a surprising turn since that series, in which Brown was named Finals MVP.
Tatum ruptured his Achilles last year in the postseason against the Knicks (as Boston lost in the second round) and missed most of this past season before returning in March.
However, the Celtics suffered a first-round exit to the Sixers, and the team’s relationship with Brown had seemingly deteriorated after a season in which Brown operated as the true primary option with Tatum out.
Ultimately, that relationship ended on Wednesday as they agreed to trade Brown to the 76ers for Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks, ESPN reported.
The trade chatter surrounding Brown had been building of late as he was dangled in talks for Giannis Antetokounmpo, but the All-Star wing was somewhat displeased with how his trade out of Boston was handled.
Speaking on a live Twitch stream, he said he “wasn’t thrilled with the amount of respect that was showed during this process.”
“I think there was a bit of a lack of respect — I think it was fine at point — and then out of nowhere things kind of went left,” he added. “I think Brad [Stevens] is probably getting a lot of the criticism. I wasn’t thrilled the way he facilitated some of the conversations, but there’s definitely more to it.”
Now, Brown will team up with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe as the Sixers look to regain control of the East.
