Barstool Sports’ Dave Portnoy took aim at LeBron James for embracing Jayson Tatum before Tuesday’s highly anticipated showdown between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, moments after Jaylen Brown appeared to ignore his former teammate.
The viral pregame snub came ahead of the Eastern Conference heavyweights’ first regular-season meeting since Brown’s stunning blockbuster trade to Philadelphia over the offseason.
After Boston cruised to a 123-101 win, Portnoy used the interaction to take shots at James’ 76ers and compare the two franchises.
Dave Portnoy Takes Issue With LeBron James Embracing Jayson Tatum, Questions 76ers Star’s Allegiance
Days before the game, Brown said he had “nothing to talk about” with Tatum. The two spent nine seasons together in Boston and helped the Celtics capture the 2024 NBA championship before the franchise abruptly shipped Brown to Philadelphia for Paul George and draft capital.
Brown showed no visible reaction when Tatum walked over moments before tipoff, tapped him on the shoulder, and patted his chest. The pair also kept to opposite ends of the floor throughout warmups.
Tatum then turned to James, who stood right beside Brown, and the two shook hands and traded a big hug, immediately raising eyebrows.
Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum before tipoff.
(📺 NBC) https://t.co/gs8XPSPQZT
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) November 11, 2026
Portnoy was among those who saw more than a pregame greeting.
“I don’t want to read into this too much, but doesn’t this sum up the Celtics vs. Sixers franchises in a nutshell? The Celtics is about class and being a brotherhood. Jaylen ignores Tatum, and then LeBron basically does the Macarena with JT,” Portnoy tweeted.
Portnoy saved his sharpest words for the four-time MVP:
“If LeBron actually cared about his new team and teammates, wouldn’t he have toned down his love for Tatum? Bron basically picked sides, and he picked Tatum and the Celtics.”
Asked afterward about the pregame interaction, Brown steered the conversation back to his own team and appeared unbothered by James showing love to his ex-co-star.
“I’m just focused on coming out and doing what’s best for my team. Everything else was just — to be honest, I wasn’t paying attention. But credit to Jayson. He played well tonight,” Brown said.
Tatum likewise played down the exchange, explaining, “No headlines about anything like that. I was just getting ready for the game.”
Portnoy went on to connect the lopsided nature of the contest to the sides’ pregame demeanor:
“And then the Celtics thoroughly kicked their [expletive] up and down the court all night. One team played together as one heartbeat, and the other was 5 players, 5 balls, 5 egos.”
Philadelphia’s only lead came at 5-4 in the first quarter, and after the 76ers tied the game at 79-79 late in the third, Boston pulled away. The Celtics led by as many as 29 points as George scored 14 of his game-high 36 points in the fourth quarter.
On the flip side, Brown’s evening unraveled fast, with 2 fouls in the first quarter and a 4th early in the third. The five-time All-Star managed 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting (44.4%) with 4 turnovers and a game-worst minus-27 plus-minus in 26 minutes, but he rejected the notion that facing his former team got to him.
“I didn’t have any emotion. I was locked in. I was focused, I was ready to go,” Brown said. “Foul trouble kind of took me out of my rhythm a little bit. I had to sit for a while, and we didn’t execute as well as they did.”
The loss dropped the 76ers to 9-3 and second in the East, half a game behind the Celtics (9-2), with their next matchup scheduled for Jan. 21 in Boston.
