Jayson Tatum vs. Jaylen Brown Celtics Narrative Slammed by Grant Williams, 'Same Dumb S--t'

Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams isn't a fan of the narrative surrounding the on-court compatibility of his former teammates, Boston Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

"It's the same dumb s--t they've been talking about since I was here," Williams told Jay King of The Athletic. "So I think neither one of (Tatum or Brown) should pay any attention to it because they're both phenomenal human beings, but also phenomenal players. And no matter what the media says, they've shown that they can play with one another and they add to one another's games. And no matter who gets the attention, no matter who gets the praise, the ultimate goal is winning."

Williams was teammates with Tatum and Brown from 2019-23.

While Tatum hasn't suited up in a game since May 2025 due to a ruptured Achilles, he's set to make his return on Friday.

He'll be joining a Celtics squad that currently sits at No. 2 in the Eastern Conference standings with a 41-21 record, a particularly impressive accomplishment given his injury as well as the 2025 offseason departures of Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis.

Brown has helped Boston continue to thrive this season, averaging a career-high 28.9 points per game on 48.0/34.8/77.9 shooting splits. He's also recording 7.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists on a nightly basis.

While it'll be intriguing to see how Tatum fits alongside Brown upon his return, the two stars have already proven that they can win at a high level together.

The Celtics have made the playoffs in each season since the pair first became teammates in 2017, capturing a championship in 2024.

Tatum's return on Friday will come against the Dallas Mavericks, with tip-off at 7 p.m. ET.