10 years ago Monday, Kevin Garnett was traded to the Boston Celtics in a move that brought pride back to a historic franchise.
When the Boston Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett 10 years ago, championship hopes were high in the city. He helped to form the first super team, with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. Don’t forget they also had Rajon Rondo dishing the ball out.
To this day, the KG trade has repercussions for the Celtics and the NBA. Boston is still reaping the benefits from trading both Garnett and Pierce to the Brooklyn Nets.
Garnett made it known in his introductory press conference that he was in Boston to win, and he did just that.
"“I thought this was probably my best opportunity at winning a ring, so I took the big steps to make those adjustments. And here we are, wearing no. 5.”"
The Big Ticket was one of my favorite Boston Celtics players of all-time, so on the 10th anniversary of him coming to Boston, let’s take a look at his top 5 moments in green.
5. 2009 Buzzer Beater over New York Knicks
Kevin Garnett’s jump shot was one of the best in the NBA, and during his time with the Celtics it was deadly.
In his second season in Boston, the C’s were on the road early in the year to take on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The game had gone into overtime and the score was knotted up at 105 with just 9.3 seconds left to play. Ray Allen inbounded the ball to Paul Pierce, and everyone thought he was going to take the final shot.
KG rolled up to Pierce near the three-point line, and his man decided to double-team Pierce. Garnett rolled and was wide open for his jump shot. He hit the shot and the Celtics went on to win their next 10 games, which pushed them to 20-4 early in the season.
4. 2008 First Round Game 7
In the Big Three’s first playoff series in 2008 against the Atlanta Hawks, we all got to see just how dominant KG can be.
The 8th-seeded Hawks pushed the Celtics to the limit, forcing a Game 7 to be played at the TD Garden in Boston. While KG played well the entire series, he really brought it in the final game. Garnett put up 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Celtics won 99-65. KG put those numbers up while only playing 27 minutes on the night.
3. 2012 Eastern Conference Finals Game 3
The 2012 Eastern Conference Finals placed the Celtics against the LeBron James led Miami Heat. After dropping Game 1 and Game 2 to Miami, Boston faced a must-win scenario in Game 3.
Kevin Garnett decided to take over this game.
In the second quarter, Rajon Rondo threw a lob to Garnett who slammed it down while also being on the receiving end of a hard foul from Udonis Haslem. While he was laying on the court for a moment, KG rolled over onto his stomach and pumped out 8 push-ups. The TD Garden crowd went wild as Garnett showed his heart.
The Celtics won Game 3 101-91 behind 24 points and 11 rebounds from Kevin Garnett.
2. 2008 NBA Finals Game 1
Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce all got their first taste of the NBA Finals in their first year together. They were ready to take on Kobe Bryant’s Los Angeles Lakers. Boston was abuzz ahead of this classic matchup and the “Beat LA” signs and t-shirts were everywhere. Personally, I was unable to pay attention in high school as the NBA Finals approached. My entire school in the city of Boston was focused on this series.
You could not tell that this Celtics team had no Finals experience. KG was dominant with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists. His defense though was what helped shut down the Lakers. Boston was able to hold Los Angeles to just 41% shooting on the night.
Kevin Garnett got the Celtics off on the right foot in Game 1, but he actually played even better later in the series clinching Game 6.
1. “Anything’s possible!”
More from Chowder and Champions
- 3 Midseason Chaim Bloom Decisions That Have Killed the 2023 Red Sox
- 10 Patriots Who Will Be Cut by Tuesday’s Roster Deadline
- MLB Screws Red Sox Fans With Broadcast for Mookie Betts Return
- 3 Most Underpaid Celtics Heading Into the 2023 Season
- Red Sox Continue Rollercoaster Season With Massive Win
The Celtics blew past the Lakers in Game 6 of the 2008 NBA Finals to win their 17th title. It was the first for the every member of the Big Three, and KG more than played his part. In the final game, Garnett had 26 points and 14 rebounds as Boston won 131-92.
The best moment of the night though came immediately after Boston’s win.
Garnett was visibly emotional and excited in an on-court interview following the Celtics win. He was asked how it felt adding an NBA championship to his resume. After a brief pause, Kevin Garnett yelled out “Anything’s possible!” before breaking down with emotion.
This is one of the most memorable quotes in recent Boston sports memory, along with David Ortiz’s “This is our f****** city!”
Next: The 50 Greatest Celtics of All-Time
While the Celtics made it back to the NBA Finals in 2010 to face the Lakers once again, injuries to center Kendrick Perkins derailed them. Still, Boston Celtics fans are forever grateful for Kevin Garnett’s time here.
What are some of your favorite Kevin Garnett or Big Three moments? Let us know on Twitter @CandCFansided!