Unexpected former All-Star could get ring if Celtics win NBA title

Apr 22, 2018; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens reacts following a call during the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks in game four of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

An intriguing subplot of the Boston Celtics’ NBA Finals run this year is its potential to create a feel-good story for a longtime NBA veteran.

ESPN noted on Monday that Joe Johnson, who has never won a ring in 17 NBA seasons, is in play to receive one this year if the Celtics win it all.

Iso Joe could potentially get his first NBA championship ring this year 💍 🙌 pic.twitter.com/xd2gxE95Zq

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 30, 2022

You might recall that the 40-year-old Johnson, a seven-time NBA All-Star, was briefly with the Celtics earlier in the season. He signed a ten-day deal with the team in December via a hardship exemption after Boston had several players enter health and safety protocols.

It is customary for championship-winning teams to extend a ring to any player who was on the roster that season. It is then up to the individual player to accept the ring or to decline it (as we have seen in the past).

Johnson had a fruitful career with seven different NBA teams, establishing himself at his peak as one of the league’s very best one-on-one scorers. He did only make a single appearance and score a single basket during his stint with Boston this year. But the Celtics were the team Johnson began his NBA career with back in 2001, and he was really well respected by Boston’s stars during his brief time with them in December. Getting a ring from the Celtics would certainly be a poetic way for Johnson to go out.