“Taking it one day at a time, obviously,” Brown said. “Things happen in this league. It’s a business.”
Jaylen Brown Emilee Chinn/Getty Images
It’s a new era for Jayson Tatum and the Celtics, plus other takeaways from Media Day
‘It’s a terrible decision’: Mike Vrabel’s candid view of Drake Maye, Patriots’ vibe, and defensive struggles
The trade that sent Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia was bound to come up during his first media day as a 76er.
Brown said he is still going through phases as he acclimates to his new team. He had previously said that he felt disrespected by the way the Celtics handled the process.
He was initially shocked when he heard the news about the trade, and he said Monday that he isn’t quite sure to expect when Philadelphia travels to Boston for a preseason game on Oct. 10.
“Taking it one day at a time, obviously,” Brown said. “Things happen in this league. It’s a business. They’ve got analytics and whatnot that they go by. But, what I think I value about this game is the human connection.”
“To be able to bring people together, uplift your community, and inspire people. What I’ll always preach is that athletes are more than just line-items or stats on a sheet. I think our game and how we measure stuff in that way is being determined in that manner. So, I preach the human connection.”
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla opened his press conference at Celtics media day with a statement about how much Brown meant to the franchise during his ten years in Boston.
“Just paying respects to Jaylen and what he’s done for this organization and the community over the past ten years,” Mazzulla said. “Obviously what he’s been able to accomplish has been great and it’s not a one-time thing to where you let go of that. There’s obviously a short-term perspective and a long-term perspective about what he did during his time here both on and off the floor.”
“That should not be forgotten,” Mazzulla said. “At the same time, it’s the first day of our 2026-27 season and shifting our focus towards those players and that team.”
Jayson Tatum was asked whether he had wanted his run with Brown to continue.
“It’s tough, obviously,” Tatum said. “The business of the NBA always comes and plays a part at some point. I’ve seen it through my almost ten years of being in this league. For me, it’s just moreso being grateful for what we accomplished and what he means to the city and this organization.”
The questions about who is the alpha appear to have followed Brown from Boston to Philadelphia.
For a long time, Brown was asked about whether it was him or Tatum. On Monday, he was asked a general question about who Philadelphia’s alpha is.
Philadelphia now has the NBA’s all-time leading scorer in LeBron James, a former league MVP in Joel Embiid, a former Finals MVP in Brown, and a pair of budding back court stars in Tyrese Maxey and V.J. Edgecombe.
So, who is the alpha amongst that group?
“Next question,” Brown said.
Tatum was asked a similar question about whether or not he feels like the Celtics are his team now that Brown is gone. He laughed before he answered.
“It’s not as simple a thing as if this is my team,” Tatum said. “I don’t know if that’s the answer you were looking for, but like I said earlier I understand the roles that we all play on this team. Everybody’s role is different. That’s what makes up a team, we all don’t have the same role, we all bring something different on a daily basis to make the group better.”
“So, it’s not just saying it’s my team. I’ve got 14 other teammates that I’m going to lean on and we all need each other to lean on and get better every single day.”
The beginning of a new season is here, and the Celtics are tasked with figuring out what kind of team they’ll be.
“I don’t know that it’s necessarily the phrase ‘without Jaylen,’” Mazzulla said when asked how the team will look different without Brown. “Every year you’re getting new players, old players coming back who expand their games and look differently.”
“It’s not as much as what it looks like without one person or the other as it is – what’s our roster, how can we take advantage of the strengths and talent that we have, how can we take advantage of the offseason of work that the guys have put in to become better players and turn that into an offensive and defensive philosophy.”
“I don’t know if I have that answer on Day 1. I think your team naturally grows and you’re always learning about your team. I think that’s the point of training camp.”
Khari A. ThompsonSports Reporter
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.