Veteran wing Paul George admitted that the pressure and criticism he's received in the past has sometimes bothered him. Now that he's with the Boston Celtics, George said he's embracing everything that comes with his fresh start.

"This locker room, the culture here, the front office, the city, the organization, the tradition, all of that is something that I've never been a part of," George told The Boston Globe. "Where everything is high quality. For me, it's refreshing. Hopefully, I can remain healthy. I think I became a journeyman along the way. At this point, I would love to be able to call Boston home."

George also said that being with the Celtics has made him appreciate basketball again.

"I'm fully immersing myself into this organization with the guys. I've been more than happy. I'm ecstatic with being here, being around these guys, like they brought something else out of me that to be quite frank has been buried, and that's just a different passion" George said. "There's a love again for this game, and I just think everything is kind of just aligning at the right time for me here."

Boston acquired George in a trade that sent Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics are counting on George to stay healthy and to be available, as the team looks to remain a contender in the Eastern Conference.