Ron's return to Maine is a 'full circle moment'

PORTLAND, Maine. - Ron Harper Jr. can't wait to play at the Portland Expo again.

"They're the best fans in the G League and I'm so excited to play in front of them again," Harper Jr. said about Celtics fans. The Two-Way guard recently scored six points while playing with Boston on Wednesday night. On Thursday, he was transferred back to Maine and is expected to play on Friday night in Maine's home opener.

Harper Jr. played 14 games for the Maine Celtics during the 2024-25 season, with half of those being played at the Portland Expo. He remembers his final game in Portland like it was yesterday.

"My last game here, we played the Wisconsin Herd on a Sunday," Harper Jr. recalled. "I was kind of injured, and I wanted to play really bad. It was a close game; the fans were amazing. There were a lot of big plays down the stretch, and the Expo was on fire."

Harper Jr. scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds, helping Maine earn a 105-90 victory over the Herd. Later that week, Harper Jr. earned an NBA Call-Up with the Detroit Pistons. Combining the Tip-Off Tournament and Regular Season, Harper Jr. averaged 14.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 1.4 APG as a Celtic. 

As a Two-Way player for the Detroit Pistons, Harper Jr. appeared in 23 games with the Motor City Cruise and one with the Pistons. In July, Harper Jr. was waived by Detroit, and shortly signed with a familiar organization, the Boston Celtics. Harper Jr. signed an Exhibit 10 contract and reported to training camp in Boston. This was the second straight preseason that Harper Jr. spent with the Celtics. In 2024, Harper Jr. was waived by Boston and subsequently joined the Celtics' G League affiliate in Maine. This time around, something was different.

"The difference between training camp this year was knowing the system. Kind of knowing the ins and outs, it helped me prepare myself to perform in the preseason. Know the coverages, know the plays. Last year in Maine helped me out with my time in Boston," he explained.

In three appearances with Boston in the 2025-26 preseason, Harper Jr. averaged 4.3 points and 1.0 assists in 10.6 minutes per game. Harper Jr. also shot 40.0% from the field, including 42.9% from three. In October, the Celtics announced Harper Jr. had earned the final Two-Way contract available.

"It's a full circle moment. I was very grateful for my time last year. I spent camp with Boston on an Exhibit 10 last year. I got waived, came to Maine, and had a great experience with the guy's last year. Now coming back on a Two-Way, is a full circle moment. It's a blessing. The fans at the Expo in Portland, Maine are the best in the G League for sure, and we got the best venue in the sport so I'm excited to be back playing in front of our fans."

This is the third Two-Way contract in four years for the former Rutgers guard. Prior to his time in Detroit and Portland, the New Jersey native spent two seasons with the Toronto Raptors organization. He appeared in 10 games for the Raptors, including a career-best 10-point, four rebound effort in 2023 against Milwaukee. Now with Boston and Maine, Harper Jr. looks to embrace the opportunity in front of him and continue to grow as a player and person as he pursues the goal of a standard NBA contract.

"Be where your feet are. Learn a lot. I've been grateful to be on a Two-Way with some great organizations with a bunch of great guys I can learn from. Being able to soak up everything when I have a Call-Up, learn as much as I can, and bring that to our guys here in Maine."

Those experiences make Harper Jr. a natural leader for this year's Maine Celtics. He knows the organization, he knows the fans, and he knows about the NBA G League. Harper Jr. said the mindset he brings to Boston, will be the same one he brings to Maine as he looks to lead the Celtics to another deep run in the NBA G League playoffs.

"We have a war zone mentality. I want to show these guys that I'm willing to jump in the fire with them. I'm willing to dive on a loose ball and willing to do all the little things in order to win. You have to come with the right mentality whether you are in Boston or in Maine."

Harper Jr. and the Maine Celtics will bring that mentality to the Portland Expo for the first time this season when they battle the Long Island Nets on Friday, November 14 and again on Saturday, November 15. Tickets are available here.