After so much roster turnover in the last few years, it was bound to be a season of reunions, and Monday will be no exception.
What will be exceptional about seeing former Boston Celtics Rajon Rondo and Avery Bradley back at TD Garden on January 20th is the uniform they’ll be wearing — one familiar to Celtics fans everywhere from its gold, purple and white colors.
In other words, the pair are now Los Angeles Lakers.
For Bradley’s part, it’ll be a welcome return despite the circuitous route which brought him to become a member of Boston’s archrival.
“I’m coming back, I’m excited,” Bradley said in a recent interview with Boston.com’s Deyscha Smith. “It’s going to be weird for me, having a jersey on and being back in Boston — for myself and [Rajon] Rondo. I think it’s going to be fun, though.”
Frank Vogel said he does expect to use Rajon Rondo as a starter “a lot,” essentially playing matchups by starting him against certain teams and Avery Bradley against others.
— Mike Trudell (@LakersReporter) October 24, 2019
Bradley was drafted by the Celtics in 2010, and grew into a seasoned veteran under the tutelage of the original Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. There, he slowly earned the reputation of being one of the NBA’s best man-to-man defenders.
Dealt to the Detroit Pistons in 2017, the ex-Longhorn would go on to play for the Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies before landing a spot with former nemesis LeBron James’ new team on the West Coast.
While the Texas product may hail from Tacoma, Washington, he still feels like the Massachusetts franchise — or at least the ties he forged while there — feel more like home, as odd as that might sound at first blush.
“It’s different, but I prefer my people on the East Coast,” Bradley offered.
“Some people might be offended by that, but I mean, especially knowing I’m from the West Coast.
“I don’t know if it’s because it’s home for me or what, but I just feel like people are real good friends,” he explained. “That’s all it is. I could go years without talking to someone in Boston but [when] I see them, it’s a real friendship.”
“People are honest, that’s the culture. East Coast, but specifically Boston. People are just good people,” Avery elaborated.
Regardless of what uniform he’s wearing, Boston still feels like ‘home’ to Avery Bradleyhttps://t.co/1tj1rbX6KP pic.twitter.com/PxNvizh1zf
— Boston.com Celtics News (@BDCCeltics) January 19, 2020
It will be a bittersweet reunion for many fans who hoped the Washingtonian would be the bridge between one title era and the next for the Celtics. He nearly was, having lasted several seasons beyond the final teardown of the Banner 17 era.
Roster management would ultimately force his move though, to the chagrin of many.
It may well be that the former Celtic wins his first ring with Boston’s most despised rival, and with his Boston in the midst of a frustrating skid, he may also walk out of TD Garden with the win.
But many of us will also be looking back warmly on the time the 29-year-old spent as a Celtic regardless of the final score.
Avery Bradley included.
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