Jaylen Brown can almost picture it now. Walking into TD Garden. Seeing the parquet floor. Hearing the crowd — but wearing a Philadelphia uniform.
And yeah, he admits it’s going to be strange.
Brown, the longtime Celtic who was traded to the 76ers this offseason in a deal that sent Paul George and draft picks to Boston, was at a community event in his old city Tuesday when someone asked him how he thinks it’ll feel to play the Celtics as a road player next season.
“I don’t know. I’m probably gonna smile, laugh… It’s probably gonna feel weird. It’s still weird,” Brown said, per Daniel Donabedian of Celtics Wire. “My brain is like, ‘Philly? Of all places? Why would you do that?’”
The surprise factor
That reaction pretty much sums up how a lot of people felt when the trade went down. Not just that Brown was moved — he finished sixth in MVP voting last season — but that Boston sent him to a division rival. A division rival that had just knocked the Celtics out of the playoffs, no less.
Brown had spent a decade in Boston. He’d become the face of the franchise alongside Jayson Tatum. Fans had watched him grow from a raw prospect into an All-NBA wing who could guard multiple positions and drop 30 on any given night.
So seeing him in Sixers blue is going to take some getting used to.
What Boston gets back
On paper, Paul George is a similar player — a two-way wing who can create his own shot and defend at a high level. If he stays healthy, he gives the Celtics a lot of what Brown gave them. Plus those draft picks give Brad Stevens some flexibility down the road.
Still, Celtics fans were not thrilled. Stevens took a lot of heat for the deal, even if the long-term logic makes some sense. George is a little older and has an injury history, but he’s also a proven star in this league.
The homecoming
When the Sixers visit Boston for the first time next season, you can expect a tribute video. Probably a long standing ovation too. Brown may not know how he’ll feel when he steps on that court in enemy colors, but the fans in the stands seem pretty sure how they feel about him.
Both teams figure to be right in the mix for the Eastern Conference crown. The Knicks are the reigning champs, but the conference is wide open. The NBA schedule for 2026-27 is expected to drop next month, so we’ll know soon enough when that first Boston-Philly matchup lands.
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