Jayson Tatum Says Celtics Life Without Jaylen Brown Feels ‘Weird’ and He’s Not Wrong

Jayson Tatum stood on the red carpet at the ESPYs and did something most NBA stars avoid. He told the truth about how weird it feels to lose a guy he’s been side by side with for nine years.

The Boston Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers after a decade of shared wins, Eastern Conference banners, and one championship. And now Tatum is the solo star. The guy everyone looks at first. The face of the franchise, no co-pilot.

When asked about that shift, Tatum didn’t give a polished PR answer. He said exactly what you’d expect someone to say when their basketball brother gets shipped to a rival.

“If I’m being transparent, it’s weird, right?” Tatum said. “I’ve been on the Celtics for nine years, and he was my teammate, every single one of those. You understand throughout the course of a career that the NBA is a business and people change teams and change coaches and front office, but it doesn’t make it any easier.”

He kept going. He talked about the human side of it. The emotions Boston fans feel. The weirdness of seeing someone else in that second star role.

“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 like, we have to welcome our new teammates, and we’ll open arms, and we still have to attack the new season. So there’s like a balance, but it’s weird.”

The Tatum-Brown duo is already getting its history book entry. Four Eastern Conference finals appearances. An NBA title. Countless playoff wins. They’re in the conversation with Bird-McHale and Pierce-Allen as the best tandems the franchise ever put on the floor. That’s not nothing. But it’s over now.

What comes next is the unknown. Joe Mazzulla will have to figure out a rotation that doesn’t include No. 7 next to No. 0. Tatum will have to build chemistry with a new running mate. And the Celtics will have to prove they can still hang in a conference that just got a lot more interesting with Brown on the other side.

Tatum’s not dwelling on it though. He’s already talking about the new guys, the new season, the new reality. That’s probably the smartest mindset he can have. Because the NBA doesn’t wait for anyone to feel ready.