Former Celtics’ reclamation project delights fans by insulting rival

Part of why Brad Stevens quickly built the reputation he did was because of what he could do with talented players who hadn't found their place in the NBA. Among the more successful reclamation projects he had while coaching the Boston Celtics was what he did with Evan Turner.

Turner, the No. 2 pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, did not pan out for his original team, the Philadelphia 76ers. In fact, after finishing his fourth season with the Indiana Pacers, many had called the curtains on Turner's career. That was until the Celtics came calling the following offseason.

The rest was history from there. Turner didn't turn into a star for Boston, but it seemed as though Stevens managed to mold Turner into a valuable player. Even if he was with the Celtics for two years, Turner went from being one foot out of the NBA to getting a $70 million contract from Portland.

Even to this day, Turner remembers his time with Boston very fondly. So much so that not only did he recently praise Boston, but he also fired a shot at Philadelphia when comparing them as sports cities.

Celtics fans got a kick out of Turner's praise

Celtics fans recently caught wind of what Turner shared, and were quick to delight in the Celtics alum's flattering words.

The irony here is that Turner went further in the postseason with Philadelphia (second round against Boston no less) than he ever did with Boston (first round both times), but even so, it's clear that Boston left an impression on him that has never wavered.

The Celtics have been lauded for having a very passionate fanbase, and even if the Celtics didn't go very far with Turner, they let him know how much they cared in the one playoff round with the lowest stakes.

The irony in all of this is that the Celtics have had even better development stories in the years that followed Turner's time there from a decade ago (see White, Derrick), but even so, that doesn't take away from the fact that he was one of the very first to become a success story in his own right once the Brad Stevens era came into full swing.

Obviously, Turner's words here are subjective, but the fact remains that when comparing Boston and Philadelphia since the turn of the 21st century, Boston's titles (13) greatly outnumber Philadelphia's (3).

Even more than that, the Celtics have won four titles since the Sixers' last one in 1983 (1984, 1986, 2008, 2024) and have been to 10 Eastern Conference Finals (2002, 2008, 2010, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2022, 2023, 2024) since the Sixers' last one (2001).

Hell, the last time the Sixers beat the Celtics in a playoff series was, in fact, over 40 years ago in 1983. There's still time for Philadelphia to catch up, but what Turner says here isn't exactly wrong when you look at the numbers.