Joe Johnson’s return to the NBA certainly comes as exciting news for one of his new Boston Celtics teammates.
The Celtics signed the 40-year-old Johnson to a 10-day contract on Wednesday to fill a roster spot as the team deals with COVID cases. Johnson’s signing was apparently very exciting news for Jayson Tatum, who had a fantastic reaction according to coach Ime Udoka.
Ime Udoka says Jayson Tatum is a big fan of the Joe Johnson signing: “When I mentioned to Jayson that he was coming, he started to smile like, ‘That was one of my favorite players growing up.’”
— Taylor Snow (@taylorcsnow) December 22, 2021
It’s worth noting that Tatum was three years old when Johnson made his NBA debut in 2001, and would have been eight when Johnson made his first All-Star appearance. Now they’ll play together, at least briefly.
Johnson has not played in the NBA since 2018, but has been looking around for a chance to return for a while now. He’s clearly landed somewhere where at least one of his teammates will really appreciate the experience.
Photo: Jan 4, 2020; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) during warm ups prior to the against the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports
