Boston Celtics alum Jared Sullinger announced his retirement from professional basketball yesterday. Even though he last played in the NBA in 2017, Sullinger continued his career overseas, playing for teams in China, Korea, and Puerto Rico. Sullinger thanked everyone he could for how his career turned out, including the Celtics themselves.
O-H pic.twitter.com/cnqY9aLYH2
— Jared Sullinger Sr. (@Jared_Sully0) September 3, 2026
The Celtics congratulated Sullinger on his retirement and wished him the best 10 years after he left the team.
Congrats @Jared_Sully0 on your retirement. Wishing you the best in your next chapter ☘️ pic.twitter.com/ISy7P8f07r
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 4, 2026
Sullinger was not a problem child in Boston. In fact, he was productive in his four years as a Celtic. However, whenever any Celtics fan think of him, they wonder about what could have been for Sully.
Sullinger has positive qualities, including his rebounding, IQ, and touch in the post, but it was hard to embrace him because he never could really stay in shape throughout the season. There were highs and lows, but because he had the reputation for putting on more weight as the season went on, Boston clearly didn't trust him.
As shown by the fact that he only lasted one more year in the NBA, neither did the rest of the league. That's why it begs an underrated Celtics hypothetical: what if he had gotten his act together in Boston?
Sullinger's career actually started really promising
Because Sullinger's time with the Celtics didn't finish too great (he got humiliated by future Celtics legend Al Horford in Boston's first-round matchup against Atlanta in 2016), it overshadows that his rookie year was avtually pretty exciting.
Sully wasn't making any highlight-reel plays, but he was impressively NBA-ready for a rookie, proving himself to be a presence down low for boards and in the post. For someone with a reputation for being a little heavier-set, he actually looked quite trim and spry.
Sullinger's rookie season was cut short because of a back injury (which everyone knew about before he was drafted). He proved in the seasons folllowing that he had the skillset and IQ to be in the league for a long time, but it was also clear as day what his problem was.
Sullinger was naturally a big boy, but during his time in Boston, he never made quite enough effort to keep his weight down. It really was a shame because there was a time where it was easy to see him being part of the future because of how skilled he was.
He eventually put in the work to improve his physique overseas, but even then, after Toronto gave him a flyer (they traded him mid-season to a Phoenix team that had no use for him), the NBA had lost faith in him for good.
Sullinger was not going to be a Celtics legend, but there was a time and place when he was a fan favorite that sadly didn't make him all that memorable in the end. He was only a Celtic for four years, but keep in mind that Isaiah Thomas was a Celtic for two and a half years and still gets fondly remembered to this day despite never coming close to a title.
If he had taken his conditioning more seriously, suggesting he could have become a star would be a stretch, but he could have been remembered the same way, say, Payton Pritchard will be remembered. Not necessarily as a franchise cornerstone, but as someone who really could have been useful on some Celtics playoff teams.
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