Nobody could have imagined that the Celtics would have traded Jaylen Brown — the 2024 NBA Finals MVP — to the rival Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that netted veteran All-Star Paul George and several future draft picks.
And George says he gets the lingering fan feelings in wake of that trade.
“Listen, I understand the circumstances, I understand how huge JB was not only for the organization, but here in the city,” George said. “So, I didn’t take it personal. To be honest, [fans] should have a relationship, emotionally, to that trade.”
Celtics faithful have had to navigate the realities of that trade since July, when the Celtics executed the shocking, blockbuster deal. And on Tuesday, as George and fellow offseason addition Mike Conley Jr. spoke to the press at the Auerbach Center as members of the Celtics for the first time, that reality became just a little more set in stone.
George, a nine-time All-Star who has made an All-NBA team six times, brings a resume that few can boast. But at 36, with a history of injuries and two seasons removed from his last All-Star selection, there were plenty of questions regarding whether the Celtics got the short end of the stick on the deal.
That’s not how Brad Stevens sees it.
“I really like this group,” the Celtics president of basketball operations said. “I really think this group will be good. And I know the coaches …. I know how excited they are about it. And we’re looking forward to getting started.”
Despite the reaction in the immediate aftermath of the trade, there may be genuine reasons for the Celtics to be optimistic. George, who played fewer than 80 combined regular season games over the course of the past two seasons, says he feels like he’s turned the corner with injuries. And Conley, who will become just the 14th player in league history to make it to 20 seasons, brings a veteran presence few can offer.
As accomplished and respected as they both are, Conley and George are still seeking to be NBA champions for the first time.
“The urgency, I think that even myself and Paul have got to bring for this team, is two guys who haven’t had a chance to win a championship yet,” Conley said. “So it’s that sense of urgency that maybe reignites that for the guys who’ve been on this team who’ve already won it to kind of continue to push them everyday, continue to show them how bad we want to win, you know, in practices and then try to translate that to games.”
Most press conferences can be stale, but George’s introduction was surprisingly refreshing at times. He was candid with his thoughts on being thrown into a difficult position with the Brown trade. He playfully poked at head coach Joe Mazzulla when suggesting that his strong performance against the Celtics in last season’s playoffs went against expectations about his mobility and caught Boston off guard.
And, maybe most interestingly for a player of his caliber, he wasn’t worried about labels like superstar.
“Superstar — we have a superstar and that’s [Jayson Tatum.] I’m not here to … steal the shine or try to reinvent who I am. I’m here to help JT,” George said. “He’s the guy, right? I’ve played along another superstar wing and we coexisted beautifully. And so I see this with myself, I see that with JT, being able to play off him, being able to help him, being able to kind of still be a mentor. So, that alone, I can play off another superstar wing and still bring a presence and still be on the side of doing everything to win.”
