4. The Departure of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett
After some of the darkest times in Celtics franchise during the 90’s and early 2000’s (more on that later), the Celtics were looking for something magical to bring them back to championship contention.
They settled on former Kansas standout Paul Pierce with the 10th pick in the 1998 Draft, and found that Pierce’s skill-set would translate well to the NBA Hardwood.
After some rough years that saw the C’s miss out on the playoffs consistently, Boston managed to trade for two of the most prolific players in the league at the time: Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
With the two new additions spearheading a title in 2008, many praised the Celtics and General Manager Danny Ainge for his spectacular additions, as the Celtics were a consistent powerhouse in the East for many years, even returning to the NBA Finals in 2010.
In their first year together, the Big Three led the Celtics to a 66-16 record, earning a number of individual distinctions along the way. Kevin Garnett earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, and Paul Pierce earned his only NBA Finals MVP to give Boston their 18th Banner.
After some failed attempts to return to championship caliber form, Danny Ainge decided on a rebuild that shocked the NBA landscape.
Breakdown of the original trade found below.
"Brooklyn receives: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and D.J. White Boston receives: Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, Keith Bogans, three first-round picks (2014, 2016 and 2018), plus the right to swap first-rounders in 2017"
While Ainge selected two bright young forwards in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston fans and media professionals alike generally agreed that the trade was a sad and bold move by Ainge.
Pierce had been the heart and soul of the team for so long, and Garnett had been the intense emotional leader the Celtics hadn’t had since Larry Bird. It was a grueling time for Celtics fans, as they had just come off a long rebuild not long before that.
“I loved it here,” Pierce had told reporters before his return to the Boston Garden as a member of the Brooklyn Nets. “Never wanted to leave.”