It seems like pretty much every player the Boston Celtics have added has proven how valuable they are to their aspirations this season. Among the most obscure is Ron Harper Jr., whose addition was met with a resounding, "Okay, cool," from the fanbase.
But months after Boston brought him in on a two-way contract, they converted him to a standard deal, which everyone believed he more than earned, not to mention felt was inevitable. Harper has had his standout moments, sure, and these were not against weak competition.
That's why it's not totally outlandish to float that Harper might get some actual playoff time. Granted, the Celtics' wing depth has proven to be insane enough that he'd have quite the mountain to climb to do that, but Harper has been that impressive.
His story is not only remarkable, but it's following in the exact same footsteps Gary Payton II took as he not only found his place with the Golden State Warriors, but also went on to become an NBA Champion in the process.
Apologies to Celtics fans, as this will bring up some bad memories, but the similarities in Payton's and Harper's stories are actually quite stunning.
Their similarities go beyond their NBA journeys
First things first, both Harper and Payton are the offspring of some of the biggest names of a previous era of basketball. Gary Payton was one of the best point guards (not to mention defenders) to ever play the game. Harper never made an All-Star team (despite some gaudy numbers back in the day) but went on to become one of the winningest players ever, with five rings to his name.
But then there are the journeys to get to where they are. Payton's path took longer than Harper's, but they were still undrafted free agent journeymen who fought for their big break. From 2017 to 2021, Payton had short stints with the Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Washington Wizards before he found his niche with the Warriors.
In Harper's case, he started his NBA career with Toronto Raptors in 2023, spent some time in the G-League with the Celtics and Detroit Pistons before the Celtics gave him a legitimate shot (no Jayson Tatum helped), and now he has a future in the league.
The one last similarity (for now) is that both found their footing with proven winners. Yeah, it's not going great in Golden State these days, but they had a track record, so it wasn't totally out of the blue that they found something good in Payton. Just like it's not that surprising that the Celtics found something good in Harper.
Now does this mean Harper will be an NBA Champion like Payton became? Obviously, no one knows the future, but regardless of whether he is or isn't, Ron Harper Jr. has joined Payton as a great example for why young aspiring hoopers should not give up on their NBA dreams, even if they don't come true right away.