The Boston Celtics traded Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers in the offseason. The deal had league-altering consequences for a number of reasons and sent shockwaves through the entire basketball community. For starters, Brown had spent his entire career to that point in Boston, even winning NBA Finals MVP honors and becoming one of the best Celtics in franchise history during his time there.

Furthermore, Brown's addition to the Philadelphia roster made the 76ers championship favorites in the eyes of many. It was a surprising trade and one that bring a lot of intrigue to the 2026-27 season. Brown's return to Boston, in particular, was/is highly anticipated.

During Philadelphia's third preseason game of the year, the team headed to Boston, giving Brown the chance to return to the TD Garden quickly into his 76ers tenure. However, the former NBA Finals MVP seemingly proved that there is bad blood between him and the team that traded him. Brown was reported to be in the arena, but not on the bench during the game, meaning he likely watched from the locker room. Brown not only didn't play in the 76ers loss, but it appeared as though he wanted to avoid any interactions with anyone related to the Celtics.

Jaylen Brown is watching the 76ers and Celtics from the locker room in his first return to Boston 😭 https://t.co/GaTrD26sVh

— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) October 11, 2026


Furthermore, a post went viral of Brown and former partner in crime, Jayson Tatum, seemingly avoiding each other during pregame warmups.

The Jays warm up on opposite sides of the court for the first time https://t.co/0PO8MMNDF8

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) October 10, 2026

Article Continues Below

Brown and Tatum formed one of the best duos in the NBA during nearly their entire time together, but there was always friction surrounding who was Batman and who was Robin. That may have played a part in the Celtics offering Brown in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes before trading him for Paul George when Antetokounmpo was dealt to the Miami Heat.

Philadelphia will next play Boston at home on Nov. 10. The first regular season game at the TD Garden for the 76ers will come on Jan. 21, 2027.