Jayson Tatum Reacts to Hilarious Viral Moment He Hit Jaylen Brown

Highlights

Jayson Tatum playfully slapped Jaylen Brown on the chest and surprised/hurt him during the Celtics’ Game 4 win.
After the game, Tatum said he didn’t mean to hurt Brown and chalked it up too lifting recently.
Brown vowed to get Tatum back for the funny on-court incident.

Jayson Tatum is getting too strong for his own good. At least according to Tatum himself.

During the Boston Celtics’ Game 4 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Tatum assisted on a late Jaylen Brown three to put the Celtics up 105-97 with 1:09 left to play.

As the Cavs called a timeout, cameras caught Tatum smacking Brown in the chest in celebratory fashion as he walked to the bench. In a hilarious moment, Brown winced in pain and appeared to yell something at Tatum.

Here’s video of the moment:

After the game, Tatum was asked about the unnecessary roughness and had a great reaction.

“I didn’t realize how hard I hit him. You know, I’ve been lifting a lot lately. But I was just so— high-intensity game, I drove, they helped, he hit a big shot. I was hype.”

Brown, meanwhile, vowed to get revenge.

“I’m gonna get Jayson back for that,” Brown told reporters. “He just came out of nowhere with a left hook.”

Tatum-Brown Connection Is Strong

Celtics’ two best scorers have a bond that helps them on the court

Jayson Tatum Jaylen Brown Boston Celtics

Game 4 was the first close game of the Celtics’ postseason, and it came with the Cavs missing Donovan Mitchell.

Boston survived what could have been a trap game. The Celtics could have let their guard down and lost a crucial Game 4 that tied the series up, ensuring a Game 6 in Cleveland.

And although Boston wasn’t perfect, they executed most when it mattered. They were led by their two stars in Tatum and Brown, who combined for 58 points, including Brown’s aforementioned clutch trey.

One moment in particular summarized the connection the two players have forged over seven seasons together. With Tatum in the midst of an uneven shooting game, Brown, who was mic’d up for the game, was shown lightheartedly encouraging Tatum to remember the star that he is.

Tatum was asked about the interaction after the game and said it was a “screenshot” of the team’s camaraderie.

“I think that’s just, you guys got a ‘screenshot’ of what it’s like being on the team. It’s like having 15 brothers. We spend so much time with each other from preseason to there’s offseason, until now, nine months later — 90-some-odd games that we’re there for each other. Even the most mentally tough, strong person can use some encouragement sometimes … We have talks like that all the time. You guys got to see it because he had a mic on, but it just shows the togetherness of this team.”

The Celtics have been battle-tested, with losses in the NBA Finals and Eastern Conference Finals. At just 26, Tatum has already played 102 playoff games and counting.

That shared experience with Brown should help as the Celtics make a push for what looks like their best shot at a title so far.