The Jaylen Brown vs. Jayson Tatum Thing Has To Stop, Once and for All

I can’t believe we’re doing this again.

Then again, yes I can. Because there are people so desperate for the drama to justify their own existence, that they can’t just let a moment pass without trying to stir some up.

Last week, Brown posted an NBC Sports Boston graphic on his instagram story.

Jaylen Brown on Instagram: pic.twitter.com/aKayzUc1uc
— jb (@lockedupjb) February 12, 2026

The reaction, of course, some people (on sports talk radio, of course) thinking Brown was taking a shot at Tatum.

Jaylen Brown continues to create his own chaos after he takes a shot at Jayson Tatum on social media - @FerzocoBrian pic.twitter.com/21S2z1her1
— WEEI Afternoons (@WEEIAfternoons) February 13, 2026

My favorite part is the “he still has to make a post that he knows people are going to react to and sort of question” line, which is meant to absolve the bad-take haver of having a bad take.

‘Hey, it’s not my fault I’m overreacting. He’s the one who gave me something to overreact to. He should have known I was going to overreact when he posted it!’

Sigh.

Just once, I’d like to have someone faced with a choice between taking something at face value, and digging for some hidden middle finger tossed at a teammate, to take the logical path.

But logic never enters this discussion. It’s always intentional drama aimed at pitting Brown against Tatum. How can I be so sure?

Because Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday were traded away, and Al Horford and Luke Kornet walked for other opportunities. They were all on this team last year, but this was never interpreted as a shot at any of them. No one said ‘oh wow, look at Jaylen taking shots at Horford and Luke for leaving!’ No one said ‘huh, looks like Brown is antagonizing Porzingis and Holiday because he’s winning without them.’ There hasn’t been a hint of any of that.

No. It’s always Jaylen vs. Jayson. That's the default, because the people making that argument have traded rational thought for tired regurgitation. These people simply aren’t willing to believe that Brown just wants to crow a little about what this team has accomplished.

“I'm proud. I don't know what to tell you. I'm extremely proud of our group to where we're at right now,” Brown said at All-Star media day. “Second in the East versus how many players and everything that was being said, the gap year, and for us to be sitting here at All-Star break and having our guys feeling like we can even be better, I'm proud, bro.”

Even if Brown is angling for a little credit for himself and his teammates, it doesn’t also have to mean it’s a shot at Tatum. Because I know if I walked into a season with most of the basketball world counting me out, I’d be letting people know how wrong they were all the time. I wouldn’t miss a chance.

And neither would these people trying to stir the pot.

You know full well that if their show rose to the top of the ratings, I’d be one of the first people to hear about how wrong I am about them being the lowest common denominator of sports discourse. I’m not worried about it, though. As long as they keep dipping into the ‘Jaylen vs. Jayson’ well, they're not going anywhere.

It’s a tired old trope, but they're not alone. There are fans who love one and hate the other. Any suggestion that they are equals in any way draws the ire from the other side. Any suggestion that one will have to adjust for the other moving forward is met with venom.

But these guys need each other to win. Brown is having an incredible season that will earn him All-NBA honors, but he knows life would be easier with Tatum back. Tatum has tried to win without Brown before, and it was his only first round playoff exit.

Brown is proud of his group for making this run to the second seed, and he should be. All of them should be. From the front office, to the coaches, to the chef and the locker room attendants, everyone should be taking a sense of pride in overperforming expectations and giving themselves a chance to make a deep run.

And being proud of what they accomplished doesn’t have to be a shot at anybody.

When Tatum comes back, he and Brown are going to have to adjust their games a little to accommodate each other and their teammates. No one will be taking a back seat to the other. They’ll just have to turn March (presumably) into a pseudo-training camp to work Tatum back into shape and into a cohesive part of the lineup.

And they’ll do it without taking shots at anyone, because they're professionals, they're champions, and they have done nothing but perfectly represent the team and the city during their time here. For once, I’d like to go through a season that just celebrates these two guys for all the positives they’ve been, instead of constantly trying to rip them apart.

They deserve better, and fans deserve a more intelligent conversation.

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