Lawrence, Massachusetts native Georges Niang spent over a month as a member of his hometown Boston Celtics this summer. Niang joined the team from the Atlanta Hawks as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade, before eventually being dealt to the Utah Jazz in a salary-shedding move.
“It was brief. I’m from here. I live here,” Niang said of his brief tenure as a Celtic, via CLNS Media. So, other than that, it was just the business aspect of changing jerseys and then kind of being on the move from there.”
Had Niang survived the summer and hit the parquet on opening night, he would’ve become just the 11th Massachusetts native to play for the Celtics in the team’s 80-year history. It’s a feat that every New England kid with a basketball, including Niang, dreams of accomplishing at some point.
Yet, when the second trade erased any chance of those dreams becoming reality, Niang wasn’t left bitter or heartbroken. If you ask him, it’s just part of being a professional athlete.
“I just think the NBA is the land of the unknown,” he explained. “As much as people think it was f--- up or crazy when it happened, this is professional sports. It wasn’t meant to be understood; it’s just how it goes. Obviously, being a kid from here, you want to play for your hometown team. But as a professional athlete, you don’t really have the time to be heartbroken or be upset. You just have to pick yourself up and move on, and go along. It’s just another part of the journey.”
He added that he holds no ill will towards the Celtics or Boston, which is evident in his tweets about the Patriots and Red Sox.
Can we start talking about drake maye yet ? Or do we wait a little while longer
— Georges Niang (@georgesniang) October 19, 2025
How can you not just love the Red Sox right now !! Wow!!!
— Georges Niang (@georgesniang) August 3, 2025
Though Georges Niang was just traveling through, the Celtics treated him like family
Though his time with the organization was short-lived, Niang couldn’t stress enough how welcoming everyone was -- especially Brad Stevens and Joe Mazzulla.
“Everybody here was completely welcoming, Niang praised. “Brad was completely honest with me from the beginning. I went over to Joe’s house as soon as I got traded; he invited me over. We had lunch. I talked with him, and we had a good conversation and dialogue about what it would look like if I was here.”
Neither anecdote comes as a surprise, honestly. Several players have shared stories of Mazzulla showing up for them, during his time as head coach. Just this summer, he attended Chris Boucher’s baptism, visited Derrick White and has family in Colorado, and headed to Utah to join Neemias Queta for an event at his alma mater.
If there’s one thing about the current Celtics regime, it’s that they understand people. Stevens’ handling of the team’s many moves this offseason exemplified that.
“Brad Stevens is the best of the best,” Niang reiterated. “He was completely honest and open. He called me before it had come out and explained to me the situation, and we kinda just went from there. I can’t be thankful enough for how honest he was with me, and how this organization treated me, even though I was only there for a certain amount of time.”
Niang has yet to make his season debut for the Jazz, who escaped TD Garden with a win on Monday night. The three-point marksman suffered a stress reaction in his left foot last month and should be nearing a return to action soon.
Had he remained in Boston for the season, there’s real reason to believe that Niang could’ve held down a rotation spot. His reliable three-point shot (40% career rate) would be nice to have, considering that the Celtics have made just 31.1% of their long-range attempts this season.
Whether or not he’ll ever get the chance to suit up for the Cs remains a mystery, but at least he’ll have fond memories of how he was treated in his month with the team. For now, he'll have to stay connected to his roots by tweeting about the other local teams, just like the rest of us.