Before I begin on the legacy of Kobe Bryant I want to first pay respect this Celtic team. The Boston 3 Party is one of the greatest stories in NBA history.
Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were probable Hall of Famers, but leading mediocre at beast teams to no more than one deep play-off run. Kevin Garnett was a surefire first ballot Hall of Famer, but was under much scrutiny for leading his team out of the first round once and was labeled as one of those players that just didn't have it in them to win a championship. Needless to say all three players needed a championship to validate their career.
The date is May 23rd, 2007. Boston came off one of their worst seasons ever (24-58). A season they pretty much threw away for a chance at the first overall draft pick which would give them the rights to add the much coveted Greg Oden to their roster. They Celtics had get this pick, this is what they were playing for (or stopped playing to obtain, whatever works) . The 7-footer was going to be the key to revival of Celtic basketball. Here it is, the moment of truth...
NUMBER FIVE!?!?!? ARE YOU SHITTING ME!?
The Celtics got the lowest draft pick possible. How devastating. After the death of Len Bias in '86, it seems as though Boston just could not catch a break. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise. That night, Celtics would trade their #5 pick, Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West for Ray Allen and #35 Glen Davis from LSU. Alright, a seven time all-star and a promising rookie, not bad. Still not good enough there is one more piece left to complete the Green Machine.
The date is July 31st 2007. The day of the largest trade ever for one single player. The Celtics would acquire 10 time all-star and 2004 MVP, Kevin Garnet in exchange for 7 Boston Celtics. A new big three is born.
Let's fast-forward. The date is April 16th 2008 the Celtics finish with a league best 66-16 record, the second best in record in franchise history and complete the biggest turnaround ever, improving 42 games from the previous season. Kevin Garnett would go on to win Defensive Player of the year anchoring a defense that had the third highest efficiency in league history (98.9)
The road to the Championship would was a long and trying enterprise for Celtics. Taking their first and second round the full 7, barely escaping LeBron James. They went on to beat EC Powerhouse Detroit in 6 to advance to the Finals. The 2008 Finals would put the Celtics against the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers lead by newly acquired Pau Gasol and league MVP Kobe Bryant. The Celtics shut down the Lake-Show. Garnett bullied Gasol in the paint and Kobe Bryant was held to his worst shooting performance of the play-offs.
The date is June 17th, 2008, Game six of the NBA Finals. The Celtics pulverize L.A. by 39 points, largest margin of victory in Finals history for a title clinching game. Allen and Garnett's careers are finally validated and Pierce is ranked among the Celtic greats as he hoists the Finals MVP trophy before the Garden crowd.
Although they lost, the people of Boston will always remember the improbable 2010 Celtic play-off run. They took down the league MVP and Championship favorite in the second round, the defending Eastern Conference Champions and gave the defending champions the fight of their lives in what will certainly go down as one of the greatest play-off series of all-time. These Celtics may be the best defensive unit the league has ever seen. Having the best defensive point guard in the league (Rondo), a defensive player of the year (Garnett) and two of the leagues most underrated perimeter defenders (Paul Pierce and Ray Allen) They held the leagues best big man to 7 points and 7 rebounds, shut down the league MVP and did as good of a job as anyone has or anyone will ever do in defending Kobe Bryant, the second best scorer ever. This team has elevated Garnett in the top 15-20 best players of all time and Pierce and Allen in the top 50.
It may be difficult to like Celtics fans, but is it is hard to not to like these Celtics. Three of the leagues best players came together sacrificing their numbers and playing time for the greater good. They made up for lack of athleticism and old age with unparalleled heart and aggressiveness . They are the most resilient team in the NBA today, and probably the most resilient team ever. Win or lose in the Boston 3 Party have cemented themselves in league history.
But I still fucking hate Glen Davis.
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