RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 5 sourcesPHILADELPHIA — The atmosphere inside the Francis J. Myers Recreation Center on Thursday afternoon was nothing short of jubilant. Former Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who was traded to the rival Philadelphia 76ers in early July, selected the community venue as the site of his introductory press conference. The gym was packed and chatty, prominent members of Philadelphia's front office wore wide smiles, and dozens of kids already donned Brown jerseys in the Sixers' usual red, white, and blue colors.
A tunnel of people welcomed Brown and his family inside the building and there was loud applause when he took to the podium. The five-time All-Star didn't appear as ecstatic as many of the fans around him (it would've been hard to match that level of joy), but he had business to attend to. Brown had to welcome a new city while delivering a proper goodbye to his old stomping grounds.
Jaylen Brown says goodbye and thank you to the city of Boston: “I look back at the city of Boston, and I'm grateful. I've been able to develop as a man, as a human being there...A lot of my most important years, my most developmental years as a young man, I spent in Boston. I… pic.twitter.com/chTumpVcpj
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) August 6, 2026 "My tenure in Boston, 10 years is a perfect cycle, perfect number for completion," Brown stated. "We won a championship, and I have nothing but respect for the city of Boston. But now it's time to move forward a little bit."
Surrounded by family, Brown looked to be settling into his surroundings. The former longest-tenured Celtic has only spent his NBA years in Boston, and he wasn't exactly thrilled when he found out the Green Team was trading him to an in-division foe.
"When I first got traded, I just threw my phone across the room," Brown said, drawing lots of laughs.
How Brown's successful tenure in Beantown came to an end isn't entirely clear. The 29-year-old was involved in trade talks, yet none of the rumors mentioned the Sixers. Plus, Brown had been in these kind of discussions before, so maybe it was just another a false alarm?
To the satisfaction of 76ers President of Basketball Operations Mike Gansey and managing partner Josh Harris — who actually hit a fist pump prior to Brown's presser — it wasn't a false alarm this time.
Jaylen Brown poses with the 76ers brass and his new jersey: pic.twitter.com/lWX1Dl0yed
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) August 6, 2026 The trade went through on Monday, July 6, and Brown was on his way to The City of Brotherly Love to create some optionality for the Celtics and get a shorter contract on the books (among other reasons). The star guard previously voiced on his Twitch stream his displeasure with how the deal was conducted, however, he wouldn't elaborate in front of reporters.
"My mind is so focused on what's in front of me," Brown replied when asked to explain his disgruntlement with the Celtics. "To be honest, I'm moving on. Maybe one day you share the details of kind of how everything transpired and all the moving parts that took place in this. Obviously, it's a lot of speculation. I feel no need to chime in on it because I'm focused on what's in front of me."
Jaylen Brown wouldn’t elaborate on the details of his trade and why he was upset with the way it was facilitated: “My mind is so focused on what's in front of me. To be honest, I'm moving on. Maybe one day you share the details of kind of how everything transpired and all the… pic.twitter.com/HzqOV4KxWc
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) August 6, 2026 While that will leave many Celtics fans reeling, Brown still made sure to show love to them, and particularly the citizens of Boston.
"I've been able to develop as a man, as a human being there," Brown described of his time in Beantown. "A lot of my most important years, my most developmental years as a young man, I spent in Boston. I got there at 19...I got my degree in Boston, in a sense. I spent time there. So the relationships are still there. The connection is still there."
With those kind words, it felt like Brown truly turned the page to Philadelphia. The 2024 NBA Finals MVP is now back to focusing on winning, this time alongside a star-studded cast of Sixers, including center Joel Embiid, point guard Tyrese Maxey, and four-time NBA champion LeBron James.
"Obviously getting traded to the Sixers, like somebody that you competed against for the last 10 years, someone that you've just been a rival (with)...that was a process," Brown admitted. "But, it is what it is."
Pretty soon it'll be time for Brown to embrace his recent mantra: "Throw the ball up." Put the whirlwind offseason aside, ignore the outside noise surrounding the trade, and just play in the pursuit of an NBA championship.
"Let's get to it," Brown concluded.
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Jaylen Brown is ready to move on from Celtics after whirlwind summer
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