Veteran NBA All-Star Joe Johnson agreed to a 10-day contract with the Boston Celtics earlier this week, returning to the franchise that drafted him with the 10th overall pick back in the 2001 NBA Draft. By doing this, Johnson did not only put a smile on the face of Celtics fans but also made some NBA history in the process.
Johnson made his comeback in Celtics’ uniform during the 111-101 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in which he scored two points during his two minutes on the floor. With this, the 40-year-old set the league record for the longest stretch between games for the same franchise at 19 years and 308 days, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
Johnson played 48 games in his rookie season with the Celtics before being traded to the Phoenix Suns. He went on to play for five different franchises, including the Atlanta Hawks and Brooklyn Nets while picking up seven All-Star nods and making the All-NBA Third Team in 2010.
Before his recent appearance for the Celtics, Johnson had his last action in the NBA during the 2017-18 season. He averaged 6.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 23 games with the Houston Rockets. In the meantime, the veteran played in the BIG3 league where he picked up two MVP honors.
“We know what he is,” Boston’s head coach Ime Udoka said. “Everybody said it as they walked in [the locker room]: ‘Joe’s a bucket.’ That’s what he is, and he’s always been, and so that’s not gonna change.”
