For new Celtics wing Paul George, there figure to be a number of battles he will need to fight before he even gets a ball in his hands at the start of training camp. The first, of course, is just the fact that he is the most tangible embodiment of the massively unpopular trade that sent away Jaylen Brown to the rival Sixers this summer. The Celtics got two first-round picks, but the player they got to essentially replace Brown next to Jayson Tatum is George.
And another is that George is not young: He’s 36 and entering his 17th NBA season. George has looked 36 in his last two seasons, too, having played just 78 regular season games in those years, with 25 games missed because of a PED suspension. He was an All-Star averaging 22.6 points in his final season with the Clippers–in two years with the Sixers, he averaged 16.7 points on 43.4% shooting and 37.5% 3-point shooting.
Paul George: Jayson Tatum Is Celtics Superstar
But George, in being introduced to the Celtics media for the first time on Tuesday, said that he is, finally, feeling better than he has in the past two summers, when he was focused on recovery from repeated left knee injuries, and not training. More important, George said he is coming into Boston fully expecting to be a secondary role player next to Tatum.
George was asked if he still sees himself as a superstar.
He answered: “Superstar? We have a superstar and that’s JT. I am not here to not necessarily steal the shine or try to reinvent who I am. I am here to help JT, and he’s the guy. I have played alongside another superstar wing and we coexisted beautifully. I see that with myself and I see that with JT, being able to play off him, being able to help him, being able to kind of still be a mentor. That alone, I can play off another superstar wing and still bring a presence and still be on the side of doing everything to win.”
Celtics Seeking to Elevate Jayson Tatum
The elevation of Tatum, still working back from a torn Achilles tendon injury in the spring of 2025, is going to be one of the keys to remaking this Celtics team in 2026-27. Tatum and Brown won a championship together, of course, and had no personal issues, but there has always been a push-and-pull between the two. The Celtics ultimately decided to jettison Brown because he was too expensive and because they wanted to highlight the more efficient Tatum over Brown.
In that context, George does not need to be a superstar. He does need to be healthy, though.
As he said: “From an injury standpoint, you play the game as hard as you can. Injuries happen. Just hope that is behind me. I feel great, I feel amazing, and that’s all I can bank on. I have not felt like this in a very long time coming into a season. That alone is a win for me. Now, it is about building and being ready to go when the season starts.”
Paul George Understand Fan Bitterness
The bigger issue for George will be the reception he receives in Boston, as Celtics fans are still embittered about the Brown trade. Some of that bitterness has faded, though, and the possibility that the Celtics could improve with a healthy George and the addition of center Mitchell Robinson has settled in over New England.
As George said: “Listen, I understand the circumstances. I understand how huge (Jaylen Brown) was not only for the organization but here in the city. So I didn’t take it personal. To be honest, it’s fair, but, you know, 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.”
Celtics’ Paul George Makes Firm Statement on Jayson Tatum After Trade