Ron Harper Jr.'s 'introduction' to Paul George is a unique one

Boston Celtics guard Ron Harper Jr. is approaching his second full season with the team, following a brief stint ahead of the 2024-25 season. In year two, he’ll be wearing his third different number -- No. 8. 

Harper Jr. gave up his No. 13 to Paul George this summer, upon George’s arrival from the Philadelphia 76ers.

The nine-time All-Star started wearing 13 back in 2015 when he was still playing for the Indiana Pacers. George donned trece during his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Los Angeles Clippers, too. It wasn’t until he joined the 76ers two years ago that he was forced to change, since Philly has No. 13 retired for Wilt Chamberlain.

With that being a non-issue in Boston, it made plenty of sense for George to see what he could do about getting the number from Harper Jr.

It’s not uncommon for veterans to seek out the jersey number that’s followed them throughout their careers when they join a new team. Oftentimes they’ll pay whichever player currently wears the digit to swap with them.

Ron Harper Jr. gave Paul George his jersey number before the two even met

George and Harper Jr. came to an agreement along those lines, the guard told reporters at Tuesday’s Celtics community event.

"About an hour after the trade, I got a phone call saying he wanted the number, so me and him were able to work it out ... I'm happy that he's able to get back to PG13," Harper Jr. said, via CLNS Media.

The young guard didn’t get into specifics, but it’s safe to assume he was fairly compensated for holding up his side of the bargain.

Harper Jr. previously wore No. 8 when he began his career with the Toronto Raptors, so it won’t be entirely foreign territory for him. When he first joined the Cs for the 2024 preseason, he actually wore No. 51, before changing to 13 when he signed to the Detroit Pistons on a two-way contract later in the season.

Ironically, despite swapping numbers, the two players haven’t met each other yet, according to Harper Jr.

"I haven't been able to meet PG yet, but [he’s] a guy that I watched growing up,” he said. “That was my brother's favorite player growing up ... he would always make me watch Indiana Pacers games."

Training camp isn’t that far away. So, they’ll get acclimated within the next two months at the very least -- probably sooner, since it’s not uncommon for guys to work out at the team facility during the late summer months.

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