The Boston Celtics made sure Joe Johnson's first game in his NBA return won't get spoiled. The Celtics beat the shorthanded Cleveland Cavaliers, 111-101 on Wednesday night.

It's a full circle of sorts for Johnson, who was drafted by the Celtics as the 10th overall pick in 2001. The 40-year-old guard was recently signed to a 10-day hardship contract and was inserted in the final minute against the Cavaliers upon the urging of the crowd. Right on cue, the former All-Star drained a bucket, resulting in a bedlam in Beantown.

After the game, Celtics star Jaylen Brown reminisced about his childhood hero. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, Brown intently followed the career of Johnson when he was with the Atlanta Hawks (via ESPN).

“A lot of memories. A lot of (playoff) runs. In Atlanta, I got to go to a lot of those games.”

While Brown isn't as a prolific shooter as Johnson, there are a handful of similarities in their game. Both are crafty scorers and decent defenders. Both aren't afraid to take over in clutch situations as well.

The 25-year-old Brown is one of the rising studs in the NBA, teaming up with Jayson Tatum in leading the Celtics. Brown probably got extra inspired with being teammates with his idol, as he finished with a game-high 34 points, including five three-pointers, against the Cavaliers.

Maybe Brown can now regale Johnson with tales from watching him while growing up. Unless Johnson needs to recover for 20 days after his Celtics comeback.