20 years ago, Joe Johnson was drafted by the Boston Celtics at the No. 10 spot in the 2001 NBA Draft. Last night, “Iso Joe” made his return to the Celtics and scored the final bucket in a 111-101 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
According to ESPN, Joe was one of the players signed by NBA teams to survive the league’s COVID-19 surge. In his return to the league, Iso Joe set a record time between games with the same team at 19 years and 308 days.
“It’s amazing to be back here 20 years later,” Johnson said. “It’s still surreal to me.”
In his time away from the NBA, Johnson won two Big3 championships and noted his son for keeping him sharp on the court.
“My son’s 14, so he keeps me in the gym. We work and work and work, and I always talk to him [and say], ‘Just work. Even when you can’t see what’s next, you just gotta continue to work.'”
Joe Johnson will be back on the court on Christmas Day as the Celtics visit Milwaukee to battle with the Bucks.
