Former Sixer Paul George says Celtics fans’ response to Jaylen Brown trade was ‘fair’
Boston fans didn’t hide their feelings after the July trade sent George and draft picks to Boston for Brown. But George, who’s preparing for his first season in Boston “feels great,” health-wise.
Boston Celtics fans took to social media expressing their disappointment in the offseason trade of Jaylen Brown to the 76ers for Paul George and draft picks in early July.
A 6-year-old Brown fan even went viral for his reaction to the announcement.
The reaction for Celtics fans largely centered on the Celtics moving on from Brown, who had been one of the organization’s top players and a key part of their NBA championship in 2023-24. He established himself as one of Boston’s most dependable players and is coming off a season in which he averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists.
During his introductory news conference on Tuesday, George said the immediate response from Celtics fans was “fair.”
“Listen, I understand the circumstances. I understand how huge JB was, not only for the organization, but here in the city,” George said. “So I didn’t take it [personally]. To be honest, they should have a relationship, emotionally, to that trade. But my job here is to kind of come into a great opportunity for me.”
George is a nine-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA selection, and former MVP contender who has spent 16 seasons in the NBA. However he suffered multiple injuries that limited him to just 78 games in the past two seasons.
“Obviously, the last two years have been rough, just with injuries,” said George, who spent 2024-25 and 2025-26 with the Sixers. “But for myself, personally, I feel great again. I feel like I’ve turned that corner of dealing with injuries and now kind of reestablishing myself from a physical standpoint again. And with that, I can carry it over to the court.”
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George is focused on proving to Celtics fans that the organization made the right decision.
“Hopefully, with how we start this year, they understand this is a new team and something that they can be proud of,” he said.
