Joe Johnson debuted for the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night, 20 years after the franchise drafted him in 2001. But it was his time with the Hawks that made Jaylen Brown a fan growing up outside of Atlanta.
Now, they’re teammates, with Boston bringing Johnson in on a 10-day hardship extension after seven members of the Celtics ended up in the NBA’s health and safety protocols.
It brought back some nostalgia for Brown.
“A lot of memories, you know?” Brown said after a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. “A lot of those runs in Atlanta, I got to go to a lot of those games. I remember one went to seven games, the Hawks went seven games with KG and Paul Pierce. I remember that was a big deal in the city. So definitely a childhood icon and having him here in the locker room is great. We need some of that leadership, need some guys to get the energy, the tone, the pace, the maturity level to where it needs to be. So I’m all for it.”
Johnson got into the game in the final two minutes, stepping foot on the court to a simultaneous standing ovation with fans at TD Garden chanting “ISO Joe.”
He scored two points with a mid-range shot that basically caused an eruption of cheers, but Brown wasn’t shocked he found the basket.
“We played together in Los Angeles, like an offseason run,” Brown said, referring to the first time he met Johnson.
“It was great, man. He’s in good shape, shooting the ball well, he’s still scored as you seen on that last play. He’s still got a lot in the tank if you ask me.”
