Cue the drama for the Boston Celtics when it comes to Jaylen Brown's and Jayson Tatum's relationship.

Before we get to what happened on Thursday, let's back up a little bit.

1) Brown was a first-round selection of the Celtics in 2016. Tatum was a first-round selection of the Celtics in 2017. The duo spent nine years together, getting to the NBA Finals in 2021-22 and winning it in 2023-24.

2) Despite their success together, there was often a perceived rift between the two. And that rift always seemed to come from Brown's side. It was evident that Tatum was the preferred choice by the organization and that he was the guy they were building around. It did seem, at times, that Brown felt slighted and was almost swimming upstream to gain the same treatment and respect.

3) Despite all that, the duo continued to have success and Brown won the MVP of the NBA Finals in 2024. When Tatum was injured in the 2025 playoffs, Brown carried the majority of the load in 2025-26, finishing sixth in the MVP voting for the season.

4) Brown was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason in the package that brought Paul George to Boston, even after his great season.

Now that you're caught up, let's look closer at what's happening now.

1) Tatum was on a recent interview, and he talked about the Brown trade, as well as the duo's legacy together. Tatum was extremely complimentary of Brown, as he was all summer, but he also said that his initial reaction was "You traded him down the street?" He added, "I was just as much caught off guard as the rest of the world."

2) Brown responded in the comment section on Instagram with baseball hat emoji. For those who don't know "Cap" is new-age slang for "lies." So yes, Brown is calling Tatum a liar.

Talk radio will have a field day this one, because there's no exact way to know unless Brown comes out and says so directly.

1) Does he think Tatum knew about the trade beforehand?

2) Does he think Tatum greenlit the trade? Was Tatum consulted by the front office about this, further cementing his "preferred star" reputation?

3) Does Brown think Tatum actually orchestrated the trade and wanted it to happen?

We don't have any answers yet, but we know that both parties will be asked about these comments, and that the first meeting between these two this season is guaranteed to be a bit frosty as a result of them.