Copyright MassLive
BOSTON — Georges Niang was effectively only a Celtic for about a month, but he raved about his time in Boston and the organization. Niang was acquired from the Hawks in early July, only to be shipped to the Jazz in early August. Still, he was complimentary of the Celtics and raved about how Boston president Brad Stevens kept him in the loop during the whole process. “Brad Stevens is the best of the best,” Niang said. “Completely honest. Open. Called me. Told me what was going on before word had come out and explained to me the situation and kind of just went from there. I can’t be thankful enough for how honest he was with me, how this organization treated me while I was only there for a certain amount of days and was completely honest with me from the beginning.” Niang, 32, knows the business side of pro sports as a longtime veteran. He started last season on the Cavaliers as a contributor for the East’s No. 1 seed. But he was traded to the Hawks at the trade deadline, which he admitted was a disappointment. Then he was included in the three-way trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Atlanta. The local kid who grew up in Lawrence had a couple public appearances as a member of the Celtics. He was in Las Vegas for Summer League, taking in some C’s games. Niang was also in attendance at the Garden for the Sun vs. Fever game on July 15, where he took pictures alongside Jaylen Brown. Niang said he visited Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla’s home shortly after the first trade. They talked how he would hypothetically fit the team as the C’s went through an offseason of change. But as Niang noted, sometimes it’s not meant to be. Fortunately, he returned to an organization he already knew in the Jazz, where he played from 2018-21. Niang hasn’t played this season due to a foot injury, but it sounds like he could return soon. "That’s how it goes, and being a kid from here, you want to play for your hometown team," Niang said. “But as a professional athlete, I don’t think you have enough time to be heartbroken or be upset. You just have to pick yourself up, move on and go along. Just another part of the journey. It happened, yeah, I got over it. It’s kind of onto the next thing now. How do you continue to grow your career and help the team that you’re going to.”
