End Of An Era

It’s over. The era of the modern Big Three in Boston of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen has officially come to an end with the blockbuster trade between the Celtics and Brooklyn Nets. Pierce and Garnett, along with Jason Terry, will be exchanged for five players and three future first round draft picks, similar to the trade that brought Garnett to the Celtics in 2007. The news also puts an exclamation mark on one of the more discouraging weeks in Boston sports in recent memory.

In the NBA especially, teams can become contenders with a trade for marquee players (Boston in 2007) or signing a top-notch free agent (Miami in 2010), and then filling in the remaining pieces. Then there’s going through the rebuilding process, which might mean a couple of losing seasons to acquire lottery picks and hope to strike gold through the draft (Oklahoma City). Boston GM Danny Ainge knew his recent run at being a title contender was over, and it was time to look towards the future. With Doc Rivers leaving Boston, moving a still valuable Pierce and Garnett was inevitable.

I’m not against the trade. If I have any objections it’s that Pierce and Garnett will be playing for another team in the Atlantic Division where the Celtics will have to face them four times next season. They would have been a perfect fit with Doc Rivers on the L.A. Clippers, but the deal for Rivers killed any chance of that happening. But inserting Pierce and Garnett into the Brooklyn starting lineup should vault them to compete as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference along with Miami, Indiana and Chicago. Even though they’re playing for a division rival, and a team from New York to boot, I will still be rooting for them to compete for another title.

It’s also unfortunate that Paul Pierce will not finish his career as a Celtic. It’s very rare these days in any sport that you see one marquee player stay with the same organization for as long as Pierce did. I remember watching the 1997 NBA draft where Pierce was selected tenth overall, probably the best thing that Rick Pitino ever did for the Boston Celtics. Out of all the players picked before Pierce in that draft, only Dirk Nowitzki has been as durable and has consistently played at an all-star level.

Over fifteen seasons, The Truth has seen his share of highs and lows. In September 2000, Pierce was stabbed eleven times while playing pool at a Boston nightclub. The fact that his friends rushed him to the hospital so quickly probably saved his life. That season, he was the only Celtic to play in all 82 regular season games. In 2001-2002, Pierce helped lead the team to their first playoff appearance in six seasons, going as far as the Eastern Conference Finals in his first postseason. In 2006-2007, Pierce played in only 47 games due to a stress reaction in his foot while the Celtics had one of its worst seasons in franchise history, going 24-58 and at one point losing 18 games in a row. That all turned around the following season, when the team acquired Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and the Celtics won their first championship in 22 years. Pierce was named finals MVP.

I wrote in a previous post about Garnett’s career accomplishments, and his numbers make him one of the most versatile players ever. He brought a level of toughness to the Celtics that had not been seen since the Bird era, and infused a defensive mindset that orchestrated their run to the 2008 title. He knew what it meant wear Celtic green, instilling that sense of pride that had eluded fans for many years. His tenure in Boston will not be forgotten, especially this interview. It will never get old.

As much as KG helped bring back that winning tradition to Boston, no one is a truer Celtic than Paul Pierce. The Truth bled Celtic green, playing with grit and many times through pain. He lived up to his nickname, hitting numerous clutch shots throughout his career. It will be tough to watch him in a Brooklyn uniform, but fans know that he’ll always be a Celtic. When his playing career is finally over, he will have his day in Boston, and his number 34 will be retired to the rafters of the Garden with all the other Celtic greats.

So mark your calendars in the fall when Brooklyn comes to Boston for the first time of the season. It should be one homecoming you won’t want to miss.