Paul George reveals candid Boston Celtics retirement decision on eve of Year 17

Paul George’s NBA career is rapidly winding down. That notion is not lost on the 36-year-old, who will be suiting up for the Boston Celtics in Year 17. The nine-time NBA All-Star was traded to Boston in the seismic trade that saw former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown head in the opposite direction and joining the Philadelphia 76ers . Now on the fifth team of his stellar career, George has rediscovered his love for the sport he has spent his entire life playing. George opens up on rediscovering his love for basketball in Boston “ I’m fully immersing myself into this organization with the guys, ” George said in a candid interview with Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe on the eve of the 2026-27 NBA season. “I’ve been more than happy. I’m ecstatic with being here, being around these guys, like they brought something else out of me that, to be quite frank, has been buried, and that’s just a different passion. “There’s a love again for this game, and I just think everything is kind of just aligning at the right time for me here.” George was the 10th overall pick out of Fresno State in the 2010 NBA Draft, and spent the first seven years of his career with the Indiana Pacers . Finding himself on the trade block in 2017, George wound up on the Oklahoma City Thunder for two seasons before returning to his home state California where he teamed up with three-time NBA champion Kawhi Leonard on the Los Angeles Clippers. Together, they were supposed to help deliver the Clippers their first ever championship. However, due to a combination of injuries leading to unavailability, the pair rarely shared the court, and choking in the playoffs, their five-year tenure as a partnership was overwhelmingly disappointing. This was made worse by the fact that Los Angeles chose to include a young guard called Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the trade to acquire George – now deemed one of the worst deals in history . SGA would go on to lead the Thunder to their first championship and become one of the best players in the league. George, who has been named to an All-NBA team on six occasions (one first team, five third team honors) ultimately decided to move on, penning a four-year, $212 million contract with the Sixers at the age of 34. Forming a ‘big three’ with star center and former MVP Joel Embiid and the ascending Tyrese Maxey, there were high hopes that George’s arrival would be able to get Philadelphia over the hump of five Conference Semifinal exits in the previous seven seasons. But he would feature just 78 times across two seasons in Philly, averaging just 16.7 points and 5.3 rebounds- both career-lows – as the 76ers missed out on the playoffs entirely in the 2024-25 season, and exited at the semifinal stage last season. George relishing being with new team For George, getting a fresh start in Boston in the twilight years of his professional basketball career, and getting to team up with Jayson Tatum on the most successful franchise in NBA history could be the perfect way to bow out. “This locker room, the culture here, the front office, the city, the organization, the tradition, all of that is something that I’ve never been a part of,” George added. NBA's Greatest Greatest NBA players in the world right now – from Luka Doncic to Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama Best players in NBA history to never win a championship – James Harden and Carmelo Anthony to Allen Iverson and Karl Malone 10 richest owners in the NBA – family empires, media moguls and investment gurus Michael Jordan’s top 10 scoring games – counting down MJ’s most extraordinary totals “Where everything is high quality. For me, it’s refreshing. Hopefully, I can remain healthy. I think I became a journeyman along the way. At this point, I would love to be able to call Boston home.” Entering the new season, this also marks the final guaranteed season of his current contract where he will command $54.1 million. There is also a player option for the 2027-28 season which would see him earn $56.5 million, although there is always the possibility that Boston could look to negotiate with George on that. Instead they may persuade him to opt into a more team-friendly deal, something he may be more inclined to consider if Boston show they are in contention for a championship – something the veteran has yet to get his hands on.