Jayson Tatum rose over LeBron James for a third-quarter dunk on Tuesday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, answering a Philadelphia 76ers push in a game the Boston Celtics eventually won 123-101.

The play quickly caught the attention of basketball fans, particularly given Tatum’s history against the four-time MVP. The game also marked Jaylen Brown’s first meeting with his former Celtics teammates since Boston traded him to Philadelphia in July.

Jayson Tatum Posterizes LeBron James as NBA Fans React to Celtics Star’s Highlight

With just over six minutes left in the third quarter, Tatum blocked VJ Edgecombe’s layup, grabbed the rebound, and finished a driving slam over James to put Boston ahead 73-67.

Philadelphia had been making a push after trailing by 13 early in the third quarter. A basket by the former Los Angeles Lakers star less than a minute before the play had cut the deficit to four.

Hoop Central shared the clip: “Jayson Tatum poster on LeBron James. Oh my goodness.”

The block was one of two Tatum recorded in the game. One fan wrote: “Nasty!!!”

Another fan commented: “He so disrespectful.”

The latest highlight also brought back memories of their 2018 playoff meeting. As a rookie in May that year, the Boston star attacked James from the perimeter and threw down over him in the series finale of the Eastern Conference finals before bumping James and shouting at him. Cleveland still won 87-79, sending James to his eighth straight NBA Finals.

Another fan pointed out: “Second time dunking on LeBron. 99 percent of the league hasn’t done it once.”

Beyond his history with James, Brown also shared a nearly decade-long partnership with Tatum in Boston, which included two trips to the NBA Finals and the 2024 championship.

Speaking with reporters Sunday about his relationship with Tatum, Brown said: “He’s on his side; I’m on my side … Just check the ball up.”

The former Celtics star finished with 13 points on 4-for-9 shooting. One fan quipped: “Jaylen Brown is punching the air rn.”

James also became a target of criticism following his performance. The 41-year-old NBA veteran signed with the 76ers in July on a two-year, $8 million deal that includes a player option.

Another fan remarked: “I’m ngl LeBron gotta retire man he looks like he aged 20 years in a year.”

The NBA’s all-time leading scorer finished with 11 points on 4-for-12 shooting, along with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Another reaction read: “Bron it’s officially time to hang it up and retire we can’t add embarrassing moments to our resume king.”

Philadelphia entered the night first in the Eastern Conference at 9-2, half a game ahead of Boston. The 76ers tied the game at 76 later in the third quarter, but the Celtics opened the fourth with a 14-0 run and eventually built a 23-point advantage.

The Celtics forward finished with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. Following Boston’s victory, he explained what the play meant to him.

“It just kind of felt good to finish through contact. It’s been about 19 months since I dunked on somebody. Just to kind of get my legs back, feeling good, it’s a basketball play,” he said.

Boston completed the 22-point victory to close out a strong road performance.