The Celtics are bringing back a really old face — one that can go back 20 years ago.
With the team struggling with COVID-19 numbers, the C’s have signed former Boston player Joe Johnson to a 10-day contract, according to ESPN.
Johnson, 40, was originally selected 10th overall by the Celtics in the 2001 NBA Draft. But he was traded midway through his rookie season to Phoenix, then later went on to have a fruitful career in the NBA, representing one of the Celtics’ mistakes in the early-2000s.
Johnson is the third player Boston has signed using the hardship exception as he joins Justin Jackson and C.J. Miles. The Celtics currently have seven players in COVID-19 health and safety protocols, thinning the roster significantly.
Neither Miles nor Jackson have seen the court for the Celtics yet, but they are valuable insurance options should the team need them to play minutes. Now that group includes Johnson.
Johnson hasn’t played in the NBA since 2018 with the Rockets. He’s a seven-time All-Star who earned the nickname “Iso Joe” after numerous isolation shots and clutch buckets throughout his long NBA career.
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