Basketball’s original super team was the 2008 Boston Celtics, as that squad paired Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett with Paul Pierce to form a championship-caliber squad. Some people really disliked it, but everyone ended up living with it because Allen, Garnett, and Pierce were three dudes who everyone wanted to see win a ring together. Now, one member of the original super team is speaking out against super teams for some reason.
Pierce was asked his thoughts on Kevin Durant’s decision to go to the Golden State Warriors. Despite winning his only NBA Championship by being on a team that brought in stars from elsewhere in the NBA, Pierce went on SiriusXM NBA and explained that he doesn’t like the way that Durant joined the Warriors.
“I could have left Boston years ago but I stuck it out. I just feel like when you’re that close as a competitor, you don’t go join the team that just pushed you out. That’s just me personally but we’re living in a day and time where there’s a new generation. Guys I don’t think they are as hungry or competitive as my generation was, and that’s why you’ll probably see more of that.”
In fairness to Pierce, he did mention that he thinks this is different than how the Celtics came together in ’08 because that happened via trades while Durant joined in free agency. He called Garnett and Allen joining the Celtics “the perfect storm” and claimed that other teams saw that blueprint and tried to copy it. Calling that the perfect storm is a bit off-base, though, because one can very easily argue that the circumstances which led to Durant joining the best regular season basketball team of all-time was also a perfect storm.
Pierce is allowed to think whatever he wants about super teams, the dude’s a legend and everyone loved watching him finally win a title in 2008. This is not, however, a black and white issue. Super teams can be formed in a number of different ways, and just because one wasn’t formed the same way that the Allen/Garnett/Pierce Celtics were doesn’t mean that they were formed in a “wrong” way. It’s basketball, the only right way is the way that gets you a title. No one should understand this better than a member of the original super team.
(Via HoopsHype)