Avery Bradley has been a key member of the 2019-20 Los Angeles Lakers with his stifling perimeter defense and solid midrange jumper.
However, before that, Bradley spent seven seasons as a member of the Boston Celtics. He is now learning from Rajon Rondo –who he calls a brother — what it’s like to be a former Celtic and a current Laker.
Now, with the Lakers facing the Celtics in Boston for the first time, Bradley will return to the arena where he was an integral member of the team for seven seasons. Instead, he’ll be wearing the uniform of that team’s biggest rival as a member of the Lakers this time.
Bradley spoke about this return to Boston, according to Deyscha Smith of Boston.com:
“I’m coming back, I’m excited,” Bradley said over the phone Tuesday. “It’s going to be weird for me, having a jersey on and being back in Boston — for myself and (Rajon) Rondo. I think it’s going to be fun, though.”
Despite being a Laker and being a couple of seasons removed from his time with the Celtics, he still feels very connected to the city:
Bradley joined forces with James when he signed with the Lakers in July, but his appreciation for Boston has not wavered over the years. He still considers himself “a bit of a Bostonian” and remains close friends with people from the city, such as Dorchester-native and rapper Cousin Stizz.
Bradley spent seven seasons with the Celtics, making the NBA playoffs five times and being a part of two deep playoff runs. There’s no doubting why he feels so connected to that team and city and why it may be weird to play a game in Boston wearing a Lakers uniform.
However, Bradley is unlikely to let that affect his game. With the exception of a few games directly after returning from injury, Bradley has been one of the team’s most important players. He’s done an excellent job guarding opposing team’s best players, and will likely be matched up with Kemba Walker.
Bradley can hopefully use the nerves and excitement of returning to Boston as a chance to play really great basketball. The Lakers could use him in this tough rivalry matchup.