Philly traded one Brown for another: Jaylen Brown reveals he and former Eagle A.J. Brown are ‘cousins’

Think of a star player who was involved in a highly publicized trade between Philly and Boston.

If you’re thinking about a member of the Brown family, you’re correct.

Jaylen Brown, who was traded to the Sixers from the Boston Celtics in exchange for Paul George and draft picks last Wednesday, and A.J. Brown, who was traded from the Eagles to the New England Patriots for draft picks on June 1, have a lot more in common than their trade similarities and last name — or rather, their family name. They’re cousins.

Jaylen revealed on Tuesday that the two are connected through their respective grandfathers who are brothers, making them first cousins once removed.

» READ MORE: Jaylen Brown excited for ‘new chapter in Philly’ as his trade to Sixers becomes official

“I didn’t know that, my grandpa just told me,” Jaylen said in the clip. “I don’t think [A.J.] knows that, either.”

But if A.J. didn’t know before, he does now. He responded on Instagram by posting a clip from the movie Poetic Justice on his story with the caption “Big Cuz hit me!”

While Jaylen grew up in Marietta, Ga., A.J. grew up in Starkville, Miss., about 300 miles away. But despite their different upbringings, there are still a few things that clearly run in the family, starting with their elite athleticism.

» READ MORE: Everything we learned from Jaylen Brown’s first stream since being traded to the Sixers

They also went back-to-back in winning their championships, with Jaylen winning an NBA championship in the 2023-24 season with the Celtics and A.J. following with a Super Bowl win in the 2024-25 season.

Fans also pointed out that the colors surrounding the teams involved in each trade is similar with both Jaylen and A.J. originally wearing green and white before going to a team with a red, white, and blue colorway.

Jaylen shared the details of the Brown family tree during an event at Massachusetts Institute of Technology for his 7uice Foundation, which focuses on bridging the gap for opportunities for underserved youth.

Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey proclaimed that July 7 will now be known as 7uice Foundation day in the state going forward.

During the same event, Jaylen met with a young Celtics fan who went viral for his reaction following his trade to Philly.

Known on social media as “Gio the Tiger,” the young fan went viral after video showed him crying over the trade with his Celtics jersey on and what read “Filla” written over the Boston team’s name. The text on the video said that the 6-year-old was experiencing his “first heartbreak” after learning the news of his favorite player’s trade.

After Jaylen commented on the original post reminding Gio they’d “always be friends,” the duo connected in person where he was also able to deliver a hand-written note to Jaylen and interview him as well.

At least now, Gio will have another Brown to root for in New England.