More than two months after becoming a member of the Boston Celtics as part of a blockbuster trade with the rival Philadelphia 76ers that shipped out fan favorite forward Jaylen Brown, Paul George says he understands why Celtics fans have spent their summer harboring hard feelings over him arriving to take the place of the beloved homegrown All-Star. And, for what it’s worth, he’s not nursing any of his own.
“Listen, I understand the circumstances,” George told reporters at a Tuesday afternoon press conference to introduce him and fellow newcomer Mike Conley Jr. (Fellow new arrival Mitchell Robinson, whom the Celtics signed away from the NBA champion New York Knicks, was a late scratch for the presser, missing the introduction for personal reasons.)
Advertisement
“I understand how huge J.B. was, not only for the organization, but here in the city,” George added. “So, I didn’t take it, you know, personal. To be honest, [fans] should have a relationship emotionally to that trade.”
What’s done is done, though, and with the start of training camp fast approaching, the 36-year-old George struck an optimistic note about what kind of difference he can make for a Celtics team looking to bounce back after a first-round playoff exit. (At the hands, coincidentally, of George’s Sixers.) Getting back into position to compete for NBA championships promises to be a tall order, but it’s one that George feels ready to help fill — thanks in large part to the way he’s feeling better physically than he has in quite a while.
Boston Celtics forward Paul George speaks during a press conference at The Auerbach Center at Boston Landing. (Eric Canha-Imagn Images)
(IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect / REUTERS)
“It’s a great opportunity for me,” George said. “Obviously, the last two years have been rough, just with injuries. But for myself personally, I feel great again. I feel like I’ve turned that corner of dealing with injuries, and now kind of re-establishing myself from a physical standpoint again. And with that, I can carry it over to the court.”
Advertisement
After playing in 74 games in his final season with the Los Angeles Clippers before signing a four-year maximum-salaried contract with the Sixers in free agency in the summer of 2024, George played in just 78 total regular-season contests across two seasons in Philadelphia. He hyperextended his left knee during his first preseason in Philly, costing him the first few games of his first season as a Sixer, and battled a bone bruise and adductor injuries throughout a disappointing maiden voyage.
The issues continued in George’s second season, with a subsequent arthroscopic procedure on that left knee costing him nearly the first month of the campaign. Two months later, George would receive a 25-game suspension for violating the NBA/NBPA joint anti-drug program by taking “improper medication” for mental health issues, putting him on ice through late March as the Sixers tried to stay alive in the postseason chase.
After that extended midseason layoff, George came back strong, averaging 21 points per game on 47/42/74 shooting splits over the final 10 games of the regular season before providing excellent two-way effort in Philly’s comeback from a 3-1 deficit to knock off the favored Celtics — a topic he gently ribbed Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla about on Tuesday:
George attributed that elevated performance over the final 10 games and into the postseason in part to feeling healthier overall. He says he’s eager to continue that uptick in Boston.
Advertisement
“Past couple of years have been rough from a physical standpoint, and obviously, that weighs on you mentally, when you want to do things that you know your body has a limitation to,” George said. “I feel great. I feel really good physically. I’ve worked hard this summer. My body has naturally just healed. Just the time that I took off leading up to coming back with Philly, my body was in such a different place, and then going into the summer really was a chance to continue to work — strengthen my body, strengthen my knee […] I was able to train again in the summers, which, my summers the last couple of years were dedicated to rehabbing.”
In his first press conference as a Celtic, George — a nine-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection and four-time All-Defensive teamer — spoke about the elevated expectations that come with joining a franchise that’s reached the top of the mountain more often than any other franchise in NBA history. Particularly because, despite all the accolades he’s piled up throughout his career, he’s yet to advance past the conference finals and have the opportunity to play for the top prize in the sport.
“When you think of Boston, it’s winning […] winning culture, winning environment, winning fanbase,” George said. “I haven’t won yet, so I’m on the other side of that. So the chip on my shoulder is, I believe I’m a winning player. I believe I’m all about winning — being a winning teammate, winning locker room guy. I believe I’m a winning guy, so that’s always going to be a chip on my shoulder.
“I’m a guy where, when it’s all said and done, where my legacy falls, being compared to guys in my category, I’ve yet to have something to show for it.”
Advertisement
Reaching that lofty goal will require George to not only be healthier than he’s been in recent years, but also to develop the kind of chemistry and harmony on the court with incumbent superstar Jayson Tatum that at times proved elusive in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. But while George is confident in what he brings to the table, he made it clear Tuesday that his goal is to serve as a veteran leader for the Celtics’ younger players and to be a “co-partner” with Tatum — not to walk in the door with the expectations of superstardom that he’s had over the course of his career.
“We have a superstar, and that’s J.T.,” George said. “I’m not here to necessarily steal the shine or try to reinvent who I am. I’m here to help J.T., and he’s the guy. I’ve played alongside another superstar wing [in Kawhi Leonard], and we coexisted beautifully. And so, myself, I see that with J.T. — being able to play off him, being able to help him, being able to kind of still be a mentor. I can play off another superstar wing and still bring a presence and still be on the side of doing everything to win.”
Even if he does contribute to winning, George said he understands that his presence won’t necessarily alleviate the pain and frustration that many Celtics fans felt at the franchise sending away longtime linchpin Brown. All he can do, though, is show up, show out and try to give them a reason to focus less on what the Celtics lost than on the potential of what this iteration of the team could become.
“No personal feelings toward the initial … how it [was] received here in Boston,” George said. “To be honest, it’s fair. […] It’s fair to live with that emotion, given what J.B. stood for and what he brought, and the history, right? He was a part of raising a banner and winning a championship here. I’m not saying … that’s gonna forever stick, right? But it’s a new group. It’s a new opportunity.
Advertisement
“I think [Celtics fans are] getting someone that’s ready to not fill the shoes or fill the void of J.B., but I think, from a personal standpoint, myself, I think I can come in and kind of still keep us in that contention and give us a chance to win. […] Hopefully, with how we start this year, they understand this is a new team, and something that they can be proud of.”
The work of turning the page will begin when the Celtics open training camp. George, for his part, sounds excited about the clean slate.
“It’s almost like a kind of rebirth, or reborn again,” George said. “To be in a system, be in a winning culture, a winning environment, and to feel good, be able to work. […] I’m ready. I feel this is the timing for me. I’m all in.”
Read the full article here