Joe Johnson makes 1st NBA appearance since 2018
Iso Joe is back in the NBA.
The Boston Celtics signed seven-time All-Star Joe Johnson to a 10-day contract via hardship exemption.
The 40-year-old hadn't appeared in an NBA game since the 2018 postseason with the Houston Rockets, but scored a pair of points in garbage-time action of Boston's 111-101 win over Cleveland on Wednesday night.
"We know what he is," Celtics coach Ime Udoka said after the game, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. "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."
During his time away from the NBA, Johnson played in the BIG3, helping the Triplets capture the 2019 championship while being named league MVP twice in three seasons.
"It's amazing to be back here 20 years later," Johnson said, according to Bontemps. "It's still surreal to me."
The Celtics drafted Johnson 10th overall in 2001. He played 48 games in Boston as a rookie before being shipped midseason to the Phoenix Suns, with whom he spent three-and-a-half seasons. He also represented the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat, and Utah Jazz before signing with the Rockets in February 2018.