Paul George will enter the new season playing for a new organization after the Philadelphia 76ers traded him to the Boston Celtics. A team that, according to him, has helped him rediscover the love he has for the game of basketball.
Naturally, the 9-time All-Star’s statement about his new team drew several reactions from fans.
Paul George Draws Attention With Candid Statement About the Boston Celtics
This upcoming 2026-27 season will be George’s 17th year in the NBA. His trade to the Celtics this past offseason marked an end to a two-year stint with the Sixers. For the veteran forward, though, it was more than just a move to a new team. It might have helped him fall back in love with basketball.
George shared his thoughts and feelings about joining the Celtics with Gary Washburn of the “Boston Globe.”
In Washburn’s article, he quoted George saying that he “would love to be able to call Boston home.”
“Where everything is high quality. For me, it’s refreshing. Hopefully, I can remain healthy. I think I became a journeyman along the way [of my career]. At this point, I would love to be able to call Boston home.”
He also shared that he was “ecstatic” to be around his new team.
“They brought something else out of me that to be quite frank has been buried, and that’s just a different passion,” George said. “There’s a love again for this game, and I just think everything is kind of just aligning at the right time for me here.”
Following George’s admission, several fans took a shot at his former team and his ex-running mate, Joel Embiid.
“What leaving Philly does to a guy,” one user said.
“What getting away from Embiid does,” another Hoops fan posted.
“What going from Embiid to [Jayson] Tatum does to a man,” a Celtics fan account said.
“Being a fan of the Celtics is something I will never take for granted. The golden standard for organizations across all sports,” another chimed in.
“He only signed with the 76ers for the money I’m not even surprised by this comment plus he’s in a system that suits him best so this makes sense all the best to him he mentored [VJ Edgecombe] and was a better vet than Kyle Lowry lol,” a fan opined.
“Just couldn’t handle the Philly fanbase,” one user claimed.
George’s stint with the Sixers could be considered a statistically career low point.
In his first year with the team in 2024-25, he averaged 16.2 points per game. Last season was only marginally better, as he posted 17.3 ppg while shooting 43.9% from the floor.
In those two seasons, George also played only 78 games: 41 in 2024-25 and 37 in 2025-26.
He and the Sixers, who were dealing with numerous injuries, made the postseason just once in his two years there. They were the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference this past postseason, but managed to pull off a massive upset.
In the First Round, they knocked out the second-seed Celtics after coming back from being down 3-1. However, they ran into the New York Knicks in the Conference Semifinals, who swept the Sixers on their way to the 2026 NBA Championship.
George had a notable impact in these 11 postseason appearances. He put up 16.4 points on a highly efficient 45.8% shooting clip, including 49.3% from beyond the arc, both playoff career-bests for him.
George, now 36, is not quite the first option he was at the peak of his career. However, his performance in the last postseason showed he remains a tremendously reliable scorer.
He also doesn’t have to worry about carrying the bulk of the load offensively. Jayson Tatum is expected to be back to full health this upcoming season and will be expected to be the focal point of this team’s offense, allowing George to play a more complementary role.
As he enters the twilight of his career, George can enjoy being part of an offensive system that provides the spacing he needs to remain effective.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.