Here's how special Joe Johnson's return really is
After ending a 3-year absence from basketball, Iso Joe Johnson is back with the Celtics. He played less than one minute in his first game back but was able to pull up a dagger for the team that drafted him in ‘01. Now only he and the prestigious Dirk Nowitzki have scored buckets for the same team as a 20-year old and a 40-year old.
But with Lance Stevenson on the Hawks, Isaiah Thomas on the Lakers, and now Joe Johnson on the Celtics, when is Jamal Crawford making his return?
Oh, that’s right, he and Quintin Richardson are too busy doing their ‘NBA Hooper Vision’ stream for league pass games. Surprisingly the show runs pretty well. They even guest watched it with J Cole which was nice until he said that the Knicks were the most deserving fan base to win a championship.
But to all the hopeful fans, Dwayne Wade’s already made it clear you can cancel him out of your Christmas wish list.
Imagine if Wade actually wanted to lace them up though. It would start an amazing precedent of part owners turned players. It worked for Vince McMahon in WWF, can’t see why it wouldn’t translate the same way in the NBA?
Recommended Articles
But for those who don’t remember Joe Johnson in a Celtics uniform during their famous conference finals juggernaut run of ‘02, there’s a key reason. Despite the success, everything about the Celtics sucked. In January of 2002, Tony Delk managed to score 53 points against the (hard-to-imagine) talented Kings. Being that he had never done anything close to that, in fact, that was his only 30 point or higher game ever, the Suns capitalized on his trade value.
They sent Delk and Rodney Ray Rogers, who was once famous for scoring nine points in eight seconds against the Utah Jazz, away for Iso Joe Johnson in a late-February trade. Is there a reason the Celtics had no idea that Iso Joe would go on to be one of the most gifted scorers of the 2000s, toppling over 20,000 points for his career and counting? Celtics coach at the time, Rick Pitino, couldn’t recognize young talent even if they started for him. Bet you don’t know who the Celtics drafted 3rd overall and let walk before the season even started?
Chauncey Billups! Thanks Pitino…
There is a chance Johnson might mentor Tatum into how to be an even greater iso player than he already is. Of course, this is only inhibiting the part of Tatum’s game that doesn’t involve teammates and leads to the occasional Marcus Smart tantrums. But hey, it’s not like he can do any more harm to the Celtics’ chemistry and stylistic problems.
Would you have guessed Johnson was a 7-time All-Star and an All-NBA player in 2010? That’s as many All-Star appearances as Scottie Pippen, Kevin McHale, and Willis Reed - all while competing with Iverson, James, McGrady, Pierce, Wade, Arenas, Carter, and Anthony during his peak in the East from 07-14.
Even if he doesn’t stay past his 10-day contract, he is now on a Rushmore with only Dirk Nowitzki’s face beside him. Those accomplishments last forever.
