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Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is having perhaps the best year of his NBA career without Jayson Tatum by his side. But he’ll have to do much more than that to win back the respect of Lakers superstar LeBron James.
Brown posted 32 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in a 111-89 victory over Los Angeles on Sunday night to move the Celtics to 37-19 on the year, good enough for second place in the Eastern Conference.
After the contest, reporters spoke to James about his relationship with the flourishing star, and particularly how it’s been since Brown seemingly talked trash on his son, Bronny, during a 2024 NBA Summer League Game.
LeBron James Has Not Forgotten What Jaylen Brown Said About Bronny
In general, James was complimentary of Brown, and it appears the two are on the same page to some degree. But much like an elephant, James has a long memory, and he hasn’t forgotten about the disrespect.
LeBron James on his relationship with Jaylen Brown: “It’s been pretty respectful despite the shit he said about Bronny at Summer League.” pic.twitter.com/LhyIBVt89z
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) February 23, 2026
“Our relationship has been pretty respectful,” James said after the game. “Besides that s— he said about Bronny at Summer League. But other than that, we’ve been alright.
“I think he went on social media and said something about it. It’s all good.”
To his credit, Brown did go to X and try to smooth things over with James immediately after stating that Bronny was not pro basketball player (if not for his father.)
“It’s a flex to have your son alongside you in the NBA,” he wrote at the time. “It reflects greatness and longevity! Bronny has all the tools around him to be successful. I look forward to watching his growth.”
But that certainly reads like a cleanup job.
Now, do I think James is going to be outwardly hostile toward Brown? It doesn’t appear that way. But it also doesn’t seem like he’s ever going to truly forgive the Celtics star for dissing his son.