Paul George’s introductory Boston Celtics press conference left at least one former player unimpressed.
George was formally introduced as a Celtics player on Tuesday roughly two months after the team acquired him from Philadelphia in a blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown. George inevitably fielded a number of questions about replacing Brown, and acknowledged the criticism of the trade from Boston’s side.
“I think I can come in and and kind of still keep us in that contention and give us a chance to win,” George told reporters.
Paul George says the negative reaction to the Jaylen Brown trade is fair. "getting someone that's ready to not fill the shoes or fill the void of JB. But I think from a personal standpoint of myself, I think I can come in and and kind of still keep us in that contention and give…
— John Karalis 🇬🇷 (@John_Karalis) September 15, 2026
Former Celtics and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins, however, thought George’s comments came off as weak.
“I didn’t see him winning the press conference. As a guy that played with the Celtics, the Celtics fanbase doesn’t want to hear that type of nonsense,” Perkins said. “There are certain cities where it’s championships or bust. They want you to come in with a certain level of confidence that says ‘I’m about to help elevate this organization to get them back to where they need to be.'”
"The Celtic fan base don't want to hear that type of nonsense."@KendrickPerkins reacts to Paul George's introductory press conference 🏀 pic.twitter.com/55uKqliTtP
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) September 15, 2026
George was relatively modest during Tuesday’s press conference, which apparently rubbed Perkins the wrong way. On the other hand, some of George’s past confident statements have just gotten him mocked, so he really can’t win either way here.
Ultimately, Celtics fans are already highly skeptical of George and his ability to bring success to Boston. The only thing he can really do to change that is stay healthy and perform at a high level. The 36-year-old averaged 17.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game for the 76ers last season, so the skepticism is warranted.
