Tatum and Brown like Shaq and Kobe? Not quite…
Tatum is tired of the rumors about his relationship with Brown. After the latest social media controversy, the Celtics star decided to speak up
The duo that brought the Boston Celtics back to the top of the NBA continues to generate discussion even after splitting up. This time, though, Jayson Tatum has stepped in directly to shut down rumors of a rift with Jaylen Brown, who joined the Philadelphia 76ers over the summer.
After a 107-103 win over the New York Knicks in Boston’s home opener, Tatum devoted much of his postgame press conference to his relationship with his former teammate. His message was pretty clear: there’s no personal rivalry between them.
Tatum: “We’re not Shaq and Kobe. There’s no feud”
Brown himself had reignited the discussion by posting a blue cap emoji on Instagram in recent days, a reference to the American slang term cap, meaning a lie.
The post came in response to comments from Tatum, who had said on his YouTube channel that Brown’s trade to Philadelphia surprised him just as much as everyone else around the NBA.
Many interpreted the gesture as an accusation aimed at his former teammate, but Tatum wanted to put the whole situation in perspective.
I don’t have any bitterness, resentment or negative feelings toward him. What’s frustrating is that since he stopped playing for the Celtics, there hasn’t been enough talk about what we accomplished together. All the games we won, the championship we won and how much we grew side by side
Jayson Tatum
Boston’s No. 0 then brought up one of the most famous feuds in NBA history, between Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant, to explain how overblown he finds the media narrative.
We’re not fucking Shaq and Kobe. There’s no feud between us. We should get more credit for what we did. I understand drama gets clicks and views, but I don’t care about that stuff
Jayson Tatum
“I called and texted him the day of the trade”
Tatum also said he reached out to Brown immediately after news broke of the trade that sent Paul George to the Celtics and the former Finals MVP to the Philadelphia 76ers.
According to Boston’s star, the real issue isn’t an argument, but simply a lack of direct communication.
I reached out the day of the trade. I called him and texted him. I understand everyone handles certain situations differently, but we’re too old now to be discussing our relationship on the internet
Jayson Tatum
He added:
If there’s something to talk about, we can absolutely do that. I’m completely open to it. I’ve always wanted the best for him and wished him the best, including publicly
Jayson Tatum
Their next opportunity to face each other will be November 10 in Philadelphia, a game many are already billing as a showdown.
Tatum doesn’t agree with that interpretation at all.
I keep reading things like, “Get your popcorn ready for when they face each other.” But it’s not a fucking boxing match. It’s basketball. I hate this whole narrative. If we just talked to each other more, we could shut down a lot of the controversy
Jayson Tatum
No rivalry, no showdown and, above all, no Shaq and Kobe 2.0. Tatum made himself pretty clear. Whether his words will be enough to end a storyline that social media seems to love remains to be seen.