The Boston Celtics held Media Day on Monday with a roster built around familiar faces and significant additions. Jayson Tatum is healthy. Mitchell Robinson brings size. Derrick White is working on his shot. The conversations covered everything from championship expectations to the Jaylen Brown trade.
Paul George addressed all of it.
The nine-time All-Star was asked about his experience in Boston so far. His answer went further than anyone expected.
George’s Message on Boston
“I wish I was here a lot sooner,” George said. “Not to discredit anywhere I’ve been, but since I’ve been here, it’s just been nothing but happiness. I’m happy to be in green.”
George has played for four franchises across 17 NBA seasons. He spent his prime years in Indiana building toward something that never quite materialized. He chased a title in Oklahoma City alongside Russell Westbrook. Then he joined Kawhi Leonard in Los Angeles and watched the Clippers cycle through injuries and disappointment.
Then came Philadelphia. George signed a four-year maximum contract worth $211.58 million with the 76ers two summers ago. His two seasons there produced numbers well below his career averages, with injuries and a 25-game suspension limiting his impact. He averaged 16.2 points in 2024-25 and 17.3 in 2025-26.
Through all of it, George never landed in a place that felt right in the way Boston apparently does. The admission carried the weight of 17 years spent searching for it.
What Boston Offers George
George said at his introductory press conference earlier this month that joining the Celtics felt like a fresh start.
“This summer really was a chance to continue to work, strengthen my body, strengthen my knee,” George said. “It’s almost like a kind of rebirth, or reborn again, to be in a winning culture, a winning environment, and to feel good.”
He said Monday that his motivation is not about chasing individual numbers.
“It’s not about going out and trying to drop 30 every night,” George said. “I think it’s more so about being available, being efficient, being consistent.”
He has also been clear about where he fits alongside Celtics star Jayson Tatum.
“I’m here to help JT. He’s the guy,” George said. “I’ve played alongside another superstar wing, and we coexisted beautifully. I see this with myself, with JT.”
Final Word for the Celtics
George has said the right things since arriving. Monday felt like something more than that. The happiness he described sounded real.
The Celtics will see what that looks like on the court soon enough. Training camp begins this week, and George will get his first chance to show Boston what the healthy version of him brings. He sounds ready for it.
Celtics’ Paul George Reveals How He Really Feels About Boston