Paul George is hoping to have the luck of the Irish.
The NBA veteran was introduced as a member of the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, Sept. 15 in a press conference with president of basketball operations Brad Stevens, head coach Joe Mazzulla and Mike Conley Jr., who also joined the team this offseason. Mitchell Robinson was supposed to be a part of the press conference, but had to tend to a "personal matter."
George was part of the blockbuster trade that sent Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers and broke the heart of the Celtics faithful. Brown was the NBA Finals MVP in 2024 when Boston won its 18th championship.
"Listen, I understand the circumstances," George told the media. "I understand how huge JB was, not only for the organization, but here in the city. So I didn't take it personal. To be honest, they should have a relationship emotionally to that trade."
George, a nine-time All-Star, has been hindered by knee injuries the past two seasons with the Celtics' Atlantic Division rival. The 36-year-old said he feels "great" while reiterating that he has no hard feelings toward fans who aren't giving him a usual hero's welcome after the stunning trade even he admitted was "a bit surprising."
"I feel like I've turned that corner of dealing with injuries and now kinda reestablishing myself from a physical standpoint again and with that, I can carry it over to the court," he said. "So, again, no personal feelings ... just one foot in front of the other. Hopefully with how we start this year, they understand this is a new team and something that they can be proud of."
George, who helped oust the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs last season, said he's getting to know Jayson Tatum, Boston's six-time All-Star and face of the franchise, "organically."
"We have a superstar and that's JT," George said. "I'm not here to, not necessarily steal the shine or try to reinvent who I am. I'm here to help JT. He's the guy."
Mazzulla shared his thoughts on George and Conley joining the team.
"Just excited to be able to have two guys that have been in the league for a long time and learn from their experiences," he said. "Both guys are extremely experienced, have had great coaches, have had great teammates, have been through the wars of an NBA season, regular season and playoffs. Competing against both of them at different times during the season has taught me a lot, has taught my team a lot. ... It's a mutual relationship just based on their pedigree, who they are and what they've been able to accomplish in this league. I think they'll make us better, they'll make me better and hope we can do the same."
Conley gave his perspective on adjusting to Mazzulla's unconventional coaching style and dry personality.
"I thought he was crazy before," he laughed. "Nah, he's not crazy, no. My impressions have been everything that I expected. I think from hearing from some of the players who've played for him, just from around the league, his ideas, he's not afraid to push the envelope a little bit. To try things, to try different schemes and different reactions for players, different ways of getting things across. It's refreshing for me. ... The way he sees the game is a different lens, so I think it's a special thing."
The 38-year-old is entering his 20th season in the league. He was a rookie on the Memphis Grizzlies when Boston won the 2008 NBA Finals with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, so he has had a reverence for the Celtics his entire career.
"It was fairly quick, honestly," he said about his decision to join the Celtics as a free agent. "But the main reason, you know, you look around the league, there's very few organizations and teams that you look at that honestly are trying to win every year. The culture here in Boston speaks for itself. The championships, the banners, the fanbase, it encompasses all that. So looking around, I was like, 'Man, what opportunities are out there for me?' Boston was a real one and having the opportunity to play for such a storied franchise, Joe and Brad and all the team, the guys, the players to the staff, A1, top-notch."
George has played 16 seasons in the league and the farthest he's made it in the playoffs is the conference finals. He did so three times, twice with the Indiana Pacers and once with the Los Angeles Clippers. Being around the same age as superstars Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving, he agreed that the aura of the Celtics gives him motivation to prove himself.
"Winning culture, winning environment, winning fanbase, absolutely," he said. "I haven't won yet, so I'm on the other side of that. So the chip on my shoulder is, I believe I'm a winning player. I believe I'm all about winning, being a winning teammate, winning locker room guy. ... I'm a guy that when it's all said and done, where my legacy falls, being compared to guys in my category, I've yet to have something to show for it."
Conley has also yet to win a championship. He reflected on his own NBA journey and shared the hope that their hunger will fuel the team.
"At 20 years, honestly, you want to say like you feel the same as you did when you were a lot younger, but you grow as you get older," he said. "You understand what you can bring at different points in the year. I still got a lot left. I still can do it on the court, off the court. But leadership is one thing I know I can bring. And the urgency I think that even myself and Paul gotta bring for this team as two guys who haven't had a chance to win a championship yet. So it's that sense of urgency that maybe reignites that for the guys who've been on this team who've already won it to kinda continue to push them every day, continue to show them how bad we wanna win."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Paul George has 'chip on my shoulder' as he joins Celtics after Jaylen Brown trade
