Hours before tip-off, all of the hype is around Jaylen Brown playing his first game against the Celtics, and understandably so. Brown was drafted third overall by the Celtics, and Boston is the only home he has had in the NBA over his 10-year career. He grew into an All-NBA player and won a Finals MVP before being unceremoniously and shockingly traded to the rival 76ers.
Since the deal, Brown has expressed feeling betrayed and disrespected by the organization and has taken several not-so-subtle shots at his longtime costar, Jayson Tatum. The drama has been built, and the focus is rightfully on this newly formed rivalry.
But there’s very little attention being paid to the other side of the deal, and that’s Paul George, who was traded from Philadelphia to Boston, along with draft picks, in exchange for Brown. The Celtics are PG’s fifth team, and he only spent two seasons with the Sixers, so the revenge angle isn’t nearly what it is for Brown, but still, this is a big deal.
The Sixers happily dumped George the second they got the chance
George made a big decision in choosing to sign with the 76ers in free agency, leaving Los Angeles behind to team up with Joel Embiid and try to compete for a title in the Eastern Conference. Things certainly didn’t work out, as George was often injured, faced a 25-game suspension, and the team was a mess around him, but there were also a lot of factors outside of his control.
On top of that, when his team needed him the most, George showed up in a big way, as he was one of, if not the best, players in their playoff win over the Celtics last season. He gave Philly exactly what they needed at the most critical time, and there’s no chance they win that series without him.
Still, he was treated as nothing but a negative contract by the fans and organization, and they couldn’t wait to get rid of him at the first chance they got, which just so happened to be the Celtics. Now, George has found new life in Boston, has fallen in love with the organization, and is fitting in brilliantly alongside Tatum.
PG has made it clear how happy he is to be in Boston
He hasn't exactly thrown shade at his old team, but his comments about Boston are making it evident how he feels about them.
“I mean, I've been kind of blown away. I think it’s exceeded my expectations since being in Boston. You never know how much culture is involved, and how much culture changes your outlook on things, and just the effect it has mentally, physically, just being in an environment like Boston presents. "
This is a future Hall of Famer who was talked about as a salary dump and had to listen to fans and the media talk about how badly his new team had gotten fleeced by acquiring him. On Tuesday night, George gets a chance to go back to Philly and stick it to them, showing them that perhaps they didn’t get the better end of the trade.
There’s certainly not as much bad blood as with Brown, and the history and longevity aren’t there, but this was still a big chapter of PG’s story and one that didn’t start or end particularly well. I’m sure he’d love nothing more than to go in there and get the best of his old team and show them that they bet on the wrong guy.
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