Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen weren’t interested in living up to the legacy of the Boston Celtics’ past Big Threes or the tradition-rich organization. They had more pressing concerns. They had accomplished enough individually but needed each other to get what all were missing most from their decorated resumes.
Pierce needed to change his image from a grouchy, one-dimensional talent to that of a complete player before finding a place among the Celtics’ all-time greats. Garnett wanted to know what it felt like to finally sock the bully after feeling as if his lunch money had been pilfered for 12 seasons in Minnesota. Allen quietly sought more after successful but unfulfilling career stops in Milwaukee and Seattle.
“I just think we got them at the right time, honestly,” coach Doc Rivers said after the Celtics won their 17th NBA championship with a 131-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. “You get three guys who have accomplished everything in their careers except for that. You know, their money can buy everything except for the trophy.”
They were thrown together with a team-constructing exercise that had never been seen before and likely will never be duplicated. Championship teams typically take years to develop, with a key acquisition here and there. No championship team in the modern era was built in one year before the Celtic trio’s Gatorade-dumping, tearful, jubilant celebration in the final minutes of the most lopsided NBA Finals-clinching victory ever.
Pierce went to Executive Director of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge after the Celtics finished last in the Eastern Conference with just 24 wins and demanded some help. Ainge scrapped his plans of developing young players and traded in the chips he had accumulated over the years for two hungry, thirtysomething superstars on the back ends of their careers.
Allen arrived in a draft-day deal with Seattle. Garnett came after several weeks of persuading Timberwolves Vice President and former Celtics great Kevin McHale to surrender his franchise player — and several more hours convincing Garnett that Boston would provide his best shot to win an elusive title.
When Garnett arrived in late July, he changed the expectations for the organization. And from the moment the All-Star trio proudly held up their jerseys at Garnett’s introductory news conference, it became all about what the three of them could do for Boston.
“We said this is the reason we came here, this is the reason we got together, and Danny made it go down,” said Garnett, 32. “This is it right now.”
*Game 6 drew the highest NBA Finals television ratings in eight years, earning a 10.7 rating on ABC, the network said Wednesday. The series averaged a 9.3 rating, up 50 percent over last year.
