July 12, 2013 will go down as one of the sadder days in Celtic history. It now represents when Boston Celtic legends Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were shipped off to Brooklyn in an effort to rebuild the storied franchise. We all knew it had to happen eventually. While Danny Ainge absolutely did the right thing by acquiring assets for the aging future Hall of Famers (three first-round picks), it is still unfathomable to imagine KG and the Truth wearing anything else but green.
As an ode to their many memorable times as teammates in Boston, I’m took a look at their top 15 moments together in a Celtics uniform.
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15. KG Interviews With CRAIG SAGER
Garnett tells Sager to burn his suit until he’s standing there butt-ass naked…
“Bar Fight”
14. KG Taunts JOSE CALDERON/KG Lays Out ZAZA
In a regular season game against Toronto, Garnett gets under Calderon’s skin and straps him up full-court. The big fella even did his best Dikembe Mutombo rendition, waving his index finger in the Spanish point guard’s face. This classic KG moment perfectly represents the passion and work ethic that the Garnett brought every night.
Another moment in which KG showcased his “grit n’ balls” on basketball’s biggest stage was during the Celtics 2008 Playoff run. In Game 4 of their first-round matchup with Atlanta, the teams’ big men were involved in an altercation. They had to be separated. Three games later, that memory was still fresh in the Big Ticket’s mind when he laid out Hawks big man Zaza Pachulia on a backcourt screen in the Celtics Game 7 blowout victory. Garnett would score 18 points and grab 11 rebounds in only 27 minutes of action.
13. Honey Nut Cheerios
During the years that KG and Paul Pierce donned the Celtic green together, it was well documented that there was some bad blood between Boston and New York. That rivalry was taken to whole new level this past January when KG supposedly told Carmelo Anthony that his wife (LaLa) tastes like Honey Nut Cheerios after aggressive play by both sides. What made this even more epic was the fact that KG got under Anthony’s skin so bad that the New York superstar was standing by the Celtics’ bus after the game, looking to have a few words with the Big Ticket.
12. PIERCE Dunks on CHRIS BOSH
Long before Chris Bosh joined the Miami Heat, the Georgia Tech product was still getting clowned across the NBA. A younger Bosh, sporting dreads in a Raptors uniform, gets put on a poster by The Truth during a regular season contest.
11. KG, PIERCE Share Milestone Together
This past season, KG and Pierce shared a special moment together, surpassing NBA legends on the all-time scoring ladder. Garnett passed Jerry West to rank 15th on the all-time scoring list while Pierce passed Charles Barkley to take over the 20th spot. KG recognized how special it was to accomplish these feats with his teammate by saying it’s “only right” that they “make history together.”
10. 2009 First Round Buzzer-Beater In Miami
2009 wasn’t the best year for the Boston Celtics as they dealt with the tough season-ending injury of Kevin Garnett. While the Cs wouldn’t have enough in the tank to compete for a title that season, Paul Pierce put up a tremendous effort in Garnett’s absence.
In a Game 3 first-round matchup between Boston and the Miami Heat, Pierce added to his list of clutch performances, dropping 32 points, including a trademark game-winning, step-back bucket to take the 3-0 series lead at the American Airlines Arena.
9. Game-Winners At MSG
There have been plenty of battles at MSG over the years between Boston and New York. Throughout the KG/Paul Pierce era, Boston took the majority of the decisions. One game-winner took place in 2009 during the regular season with KG knocking down an 18-foot jumper to grab the W on the road. In 2010, Pierce hit an epic step-back jumper to defeat New York with Nate Robinson almost breaking his neck as part of the post-game celebration.
8. 2008 ECF: Game 6 vs. Detroit
After dominating much of the early 21st century with six division titles in seven years, the aging Pistons matched up against a newly formed Celtic contender in the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals. Boston erased a 10-point deficit during the fourth quarter, outscoring Detroit 29-13 in the final period en route to a 89-81 victory at the Palace of Auburn Hills. Pierce had 27 points and eight rebounds to lead the Celtics to their first NBA Finals appearance in the new Big Three era.
7. 2012 ECF: Game 5 vs. Heat
In the famous “good job, good effort” game, an unexpected Boston Celtics squad shocked the world and took a 94-90 Game 5 road victory back to Boston with a 3-2 advantage in the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals. While Miami would solve their problems in Game 6 and 7 victories, it was impressive to see an aging Celtics team, with a depleted bench, push Miami to the brink. While Pierce knocked down a crucial three-pointer with under a minute left over LeBron James, KG led the Celtics attack all night long, finishing with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
6. PIERCE Vs. LeBRON In 2008
During the second round of the 2008 NBA Playoffs, the Celtics were tested by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, who set the stage for a legendary Game 7 matchup. While it may be unfathomable that James took a loss after his 45-point, 5-rebound, 6-assist output, Pierce matched the King blow for blow, scoring 41 points in the process, and adding four rebounds and five assists.
5. Celtics Win 2010 ECF Vs. Cleveland
In another epic battle between the King and his “arch rival,” Pierce and co. got the best of LeBron once again. This time, the Cs sent ‘Bron packing in his last game with the Cavs. Garnett dropped 22 points and 12 rebounds in the victory.
4. ALLEN And GARNETT Join PIERCE In Boston
In two separate blockbuster deals, the Celtics made themselves an immediate contender overnight, landing Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett to join the captain Paul Pierce in Boston. Allen was acquired from Seattle for Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West and Jeff Green. Following the Allen deal, the Timberwolves agreed to send Kevin Garnett to Boston for Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Sebastian Telfair and Theo Ratliff.
3. Ring Ceremony
Banner 17 was lifted, rings were distributed and emotions were raw as the Celtics reflected on their 2008 NBA championship during opening night of the ’08-09 NBA season. This memorable scene included a teary-eyed Pierce, who had gone through the toughest year in franchise history just one year prior.
2. The Wheelchair Comeback
In Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals, The Truth channelled his inner Willis Reed and came back from a knee injury after exiting the game in a wheelchair. Shortly after leaving, with 5:04 remaining in the third quarter, Pierce returned for an epic comeback in which he knocked down back-to-back three-pointers behind the rejuvenation and support of the home crowd. The Garden erupted into pandemonium with the pendulum swinging back in Boston’s direction as Boston opened the series with a 98-88 home victory. Garnett had a monster night with 24 points and 13 rebounds.
1. 2008 NBA Champions
As a Celtics fan, this clip still gives me the chills every time I watch it. As part of the celebration, you couldn’t help but feel great for Pierce and Garnett because of their prior playoff adversity. The raw emotion exemplified by both future Hall of Famers showed viewers what it truly means to be a champion.
What were the best moments of the Pierce/KG era in Boston?
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