Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum’s awkward pregame exchange ahead of Boston’s 123-101 win over Philadelphia on Tuesday stirred memories of Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant’s first meeting as opponents in 2004.
Before tipoff last night Tatum approached his former Celtics teammate, reaching out for a greeting. Brown was holding a basketball and offered no visible acknowledgement. He seemed to leave Tatum hanging and clips were quickly shared online.
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The clip drew immediate comparisons to a familiar interaction between Shaq and Kobe after O’Neal’s move from Los Angeles to Miami.
NBA fans react to Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum feud
The clip drew immediate comparisons to the chilly interaction between Shaq and Kobe after O’Neal’s move from Los Angeles to Miami.
O’Neal and Bryant first faced each other as opponents on Christmas Day 2004, months after the Lakers traded Shaq to the Heat. Their frosty pregame encounter reflected a rift that had become impossible to ignore.
Miami won 104-102 in overtime, despite Bryant scoring 42 points. O’Neal finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds.
The clip drew immediate reactions from NBA fans. “How it’s done,” said one fan.
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Another added: “Yeah the beef was clear but they still dapped or acknowledged each other. Jaylen d****** acted like Jayson was a random.”
A third said: “No comparison. Let’s all stop giving these two attention lol.”
Brown’s move to the 76ers in the 2026 offseason ended a championship partnership with Tatum. Since then, comments from both players have kept questions about their relationship alive.
Tatum has dismissed suggestions of personal animosity, while Brown has challenged his former teammate’s account of the trade. Ahead of Tuesday’s game, Brown said there was “nothing to talk about.”
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The Celtics cruised to victory in Philadelphia, with Tatum scoring 21 points to Brown’s 13. Paul George -who moved to Boston in the deal that sent Brown to Philadelphia – led the way with 36 points.
Brown subsequently played down the pregame moment explaining that he was focused on his warmup.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
