Paul George Says He Rediscovered 'Love' for Basketball After Being Traded to Celtics from 76ers

Paul George wasn't the headliner in the monster trade that sent Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason, but the veteran is rediscovering his "love" for the game with the Boston Celtics.

"I'm fully immersing myself into this organization with the guys," he told Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe . "I've been more than happy. I'm ecstatic with being here, being around these guys, like they brought something else out of me that to be quite frank has been buried, and that's just a different passion. 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."

He continued, spotlighting the tradition that comes with being a member of the Celtics.

"This locker room, the culture here, the front office, the city, the organization, the tradition, all of that is something that I've never been a part of," George said. "Where everything is high quality. For me, it's refreshing. Hopefully, I can remain healthy. I think I became a journeyman along the way. At this point, I would love to be able to call Boston home."

George spent his first seven seasons with the Indiana Pacers, so it is somewhat notable to hear him call himself a journeyman at this point.

But he has since played for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers and 76ers with the stint in Philadelphia lasting just two seasons.

Injuries have been an issue for George as well, as he played just 41 games in 2024-25 and 31 games in 2025-26 when he was with the 76ers.

There was a time when he was one of the best two-way players in the league with a resume that includes six All-NBA selections, nine All-Star nods and four All-Defensive selections. While it is unrealistic for the Celtics to expect him to perform like that at 36 years old in what will be his 17th season, it isn't unreasonable to expect him to be a key contributor.

That is especially the case if he is playing with a newfound love for the game.

George also won't be asked to be the primary playmaker on a team with Jayson Tatum leading the way and other playmakers such as Derrick White and Payton Pritchard expected to be key contributors.

That will allow George to take advantage of open space and, ideally for Boston, help it go on a deep playoff run in the Eastern Conference.