Avery Bradley should get a great welcome as he plays the Boston Celtics for the first time since being traded
Avery Bradley, who was traded by the Boston Celtics to the Detroit Pistons in order to free up cap space and get Marcus Morris back, will be playing his first game against his former team. In today’s NBA, we are accustomed to returning players getting booed relentlessly, but Bradley is in a completely different situation.
During his time in Boston, Bradley become the most beloved player of his generation. That generation may not have been the most successful, but that is also one of the most endearing qualities.
Bradley fought through and bled Celtics green during the worst years of this rebuild. He came in just a bit too late to get that championship with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, but the time he spent with them allowed him to become a staple of this franchise, even if he does not have the same kind of pedigree that most Celtics legends have.
On and off the court, Bradley was loved by everyone in Boston, and seeing him go in order to complete this rebuild was one of the toughest things this generation of fans had to go through with this team. Even on his way out, Bradley did tremendous things to help this franchise, and each and every fan should be showing their gratitude when he in introduced.
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Bradley should expect a great ovation in his return to Boston, but it will be one of the stranger parts of the season watching Bradley defending Kyrie Irving in a different jersey. Bradley separated himself as the best on ball defensive guard in the NBA while with the Celtics, and that is going to be one of the major concerns in this game.
Fans will show their love for Bradley when the game is not going on, but things could change once he takes his shot at slowing down Irving. Irving is on one of the best stretches of his career, but Celtics fans have seen how well Bradley has defended Irving in the past, and that is a problem that the Celtics have never had to think about before.
Bradley may not be able to compare to the all time legends that have returned to Boston after great careers there, but I would expect the cheers to be just as loud. Everyone knows how much Bradley meant to this franchise, and they would not be where they are today without him.
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Bradley should get his warm welcome, but priorities will probably shift. This is one of the best Eastern Conference show downs so far this season, and if the Pistons are going to upset the top teams right now, you better believe Bradley is going to be a major reason why.