NBA · 5 hours ago

Boston lcon Bob Ryan Calls Celtics Trade: “Incomprehensible”

Bo Marchionte

Host · Writer

Boston Celtics Dismiss Jaylen Brown and Title Chances
Is This Really the End. Or Just the Beginning?

Bob Ryan isn't completely closing the book.

As much as he has blasted the trade, he admits there may still be another chapter waiting to be written.

"There's one other aspect of this which I'll give him (Brad Stevens) a remote benefit of the doubt. It's so bad, it's so mysterious, and it's so perplexing. It can't be the end of the story."

Ryan then posed the question every Celtics fan is now asking.

"Is it part of some master plan?"

That's the only thread of optimism left. The NBA has become a league where today's shocking trade often sets up tomorrow's blockbuster. Salary dumps become superstar acquisitions. Draft picks become currency. Front offices rarely reveal the full blueprint until every move has been completed.

Maybe Stevens has another deal waiting.

Maybe another All-Star is on the horizon. Maybe Lebron James? Not to Boston but maybe Philadelphia. The Celtics need a three from beyond half-court to safe face.

Or maybe Celtics fans are simply searching for an explanation that doesn't exist.

For now, Ryan's words capture the mood in Boston better than anyone else's: shock, confusion and hope that this isn't the final act.
Boston Celtics Dismiss Jaylen Brown and Title Chances
The Morning After Walk for the Boston Celtics

Every fan thinks they're a general manager. Every fantasy owner has proposed a trade so lopsided it gets laughed out of the group chat. The difference is those deals never become reality.

This one did.

The Boston Celtics shocked the NBA by shipping Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, a move that immediately ignited criticism across basketball circles. Brown wasn't just another All-Star.

He was a five-time All-Star, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, an NBA champion, and a player who spent nine seasons building a bond with Boston that reached well beyond the parquet floor.

Legendary Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan didn't question Brown's legacy for a second during an appearance on Mad Dog Sports Radio.

"I'm not going to say a bad word about him. He should be remembered as a Celtic who made great contributions. His value in Boston extended far beyond the basketball court."

Brown released his own farewell statement carried the same emotion.

"I'm still processing how this all went down. I earned my respect from this city. Saying goodbye isn't easy when you've invested your heart into something."

Now comes the question every blockbuster trade eventually answers: Did Boston make a championship move or one history will file alongside the NBA's biggest head-scratchers?

Jaylen Brown Tidbits
- Brown spent nine seasons with Boston after being selected No. 3 overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.
- Five-time NBA All-Star and 2024 NBA Finals MVP.
- Helped deliver Boston's most recent NBA championship.
- Bob Ryan praised Brown's impact on and off the court.
- The trade immediately became one of the league's most debated offseason moves.
Boston Celtics Dismiss Jaylen Brown and Title Chances
Bob Ryan’s Response Says It All

Philadelphia 76ers receive
- Jaylen Brown
Boston Celtics receive
- Paul George
- 2028 first-round pick (can convert to the more favorable of a pick swap)
- 2031 unprotected first-round pick
- 2028 second-round pick (most favorable of Warriors/Thunder/Bucks)
- 2030 second-round pick (most favorable of Wizards/Trail Blazers/Suns)
"Like everyone else who cares about basketball in Boston, I'm in shock and disbelief and bewilderment."

That was Ryan's immediate reaction on Mad Dog Sports Radio after the Celtics dealt Jaylen Brown.

Ryan isn't just another media personality.

He's one of the most respected voices in basketball history. After joining The Boston Globe in 1968, he became the Celtics beat writer in 1969 and spent more than four decades chronicling the franchise through championship runs, heartbreaking defeats and unforgettable stars.

He covered Larry Bird, John Havlicek, Bob Cousy and countless NBA legends, earning a reputation as one of the game's premier basketball historians.

He is basically saying its garbage. His beloved team in his beloved city just made the 76ers go from 20-1 favorites to win the NBA title next season, to 13-1.

Boston is in the championship window every season with the combo of Brown and former superstar teammate Jayson Tatum.

When someone with Ryan's résumé responds with shock instead of praise, people notice. His reaction echoed the feelings of countless Celtics fans wondering if Boston just made one of the most controversial trades in franchise history.

Bob Ryan Resume

Joined The Boston Globe in 1968.

Celtics beat writer beginning in 1969.

Covered 20 NBA Finals and 20 Final Fours.

Reported on nine World Series, five Super Bowls and seven Olympic Games.

Retired in 2012 after a legendary 44-year career.
Boston Celtics Dismiss Jaylen Brown and Title Chances
"Incomprehensible" Ryan Rips Boston's Return

Bob Ryan didn't dance around the issue.

He went right at the centerpiece of the return.

"They have given him away for a 36-year-old guy. If you took an anonymous poll of every general manager in the league, one of the worst three contracts in the NBA would appear on every ballot. It would probably be No. 1."

Ryan was referring to Paul George, whose massive contract has become a lightning rod around the league. Boston also acquired future draft capital, but Ryan questioned just how valuable those assets really are.

He borrowed a memorable line from his longtime Boston Globe colleague Gary Washburn to drive home the point.

"That 2031 pick is a 14-year-old kid getting ready to start AAU."

Ryan's conclusion couldn't have been stronger.

"It's incomprehensible that this is all they could get."

Paul George Tidbits
- Ryan blasted Paul George's contract as one of the NBA's worst.
- George is entering his age-36 season.
- Boston also received future draft compensation.
- The prized 2031 first-round pick is years away from impacting the roster.
- Ryan called the overall return "incomprehensible."
Boston Celtics Dismiss Jaylen Brown and Title Chances
"In Brad I Trust"... Until Now

Bob Ryan has spent years defending Celtics president Brad Stevens. That's what made his latest comments so startling.

"My mantra has always been, 'In Brad I trust.' If he makes a deal, okay. If he doesn't make a deal, okay. In Brad I trust."

Then came the punchline that perfectly captured his disbelief.

"My own theory is that Brad has been kidnapped by the 76ers and replaced by an AI-generated robot. That's the only explanation for how he could make that trade."

It was classic Ryan, humorous, sharp, and brutally honest. The comment wasn't meant to question Stevens' intelligence. It underscored just how unimaginable Ryan believes this trade was for one of the NBA's most respected executives.

Brad Stevens Resume
- Named Celtics President of Basketball Operations in 2021.
- NBA Executive of the Year (2024).
- Built Boston's 2024 NBA championship roster.
- Acquired key pieces including Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis.
- Previously spent eight seasons as Boston's head coach, reaching multiple Eastern Conference Finals.
Boston Celtics Dismiss Jaylen Brown and Title Chances
Is This Really the End. Or Just the Beginning?

Bob Ryan isn't completely closing the book.

As much as he has blasted the trade, he admits there may still be another chapter waiting to be written.

"There's one other aspect of this which I'll give him (Brad Stevens) a remote benefit of the doubt. It's so bad, it's so mysterious, and it's so perplexing. It can't be the end of the story."

Ryan then posed the question every Celtics fan is now asking.

"Is it part of some master plan?"

That's the only thread of optimism left. The NBA has become a league where today's shocking trade often sets up tomorrow's blockbuster. Salary dumps become superstar acquisitions. Draft picks become currency. Front offices rarely reveal the full blueprint until every move has been completed.

Maybe Stevens has another deal waiting.

Maybe another All-Star is on the horizon. Maybe Lebron James? Not to Boston but maybe Philadelphia. The Celtics need a three from beyond half-court to safe face.

Or maybe Celtics fans are simply searching for an explanation that doesn't exist.

For now, Ryan's words capture the mood in Boston better than anyone else's: shock, confusion and hope that this isn't the final act.
Boston Celtics Dismiss Jaylen Brown and Title Chances
The Morning After Walk for the Boston Celtics

Every fan thinks they're a general manager. Every fantasy owner has proposed a trade so lopsided it gets laughed out of the group chat. The difference is those deals never become reality.

This one did.

The Boston Celtics shocked the NBA by shipping Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, a move that immediately ignited criticism across basketball circles. Brown wasn't just another All-Star.

He was a five-time All-Star, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, an NBA champion, and a player who spent nine seasons building a bond with Boston that reached well beyond the parquet floor.

Legendary Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan didn't question Brown's legacy for a second during an appearance on Mad Dog Sports Radio.

"I'm not going to say a bad word about him. He should be remembered as a Celtic who made great contributions. His value in Boston extended far beyond the basketball court."

Brown released his own farewell statement carried the same emotion.

"I'm still processing how this all went down. I earned my respect from this city. Saying goodbye isn't easy when you've invested your heart into something."

Now comes the question every blockbuster trade eventually answers: Did Boston make a championship move or one history will file alongside the NBA's biggest head-scratchers?

Jaylen Brown Tidbits
- Brown spent nine seasons with Boston after being selected No. 3 overall in the 2016 NBA Draft.
- Five-time NBA All-Star and 2024 NBA Finals MVP.
- Helped deliver Boston's most recent NBA championship.
- Bob Ryan praised Brown's impact on and off the court.
- The trade immediately became one of the league's most debated offseason moves.

Boston lcon Bob Ryan Calls Celtics Trade: “Incomprehensible”

Is This Really the End. Or Just the Beginning?

The Morning After Walk for the Boston Celtics

Jaylen Brown Tidbits

Bob Ryan’s Response Says It All

Bob Ryan Resume

"Incomprehensible" Ryan Rips Boston's Return

Paul George Tidbits

"In Brad I Trust"... Until Now

Brad Stevens Resume

Is This Really the End. Or Just the Beginning?

The Morning After Walk for the Boston Celtics

Jaylen Brown Tidbits

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