Seeing Pierce and Garnett in Nets Jerseys Just Doesn’t Feel Right

I'm not the biggest basketball fan, nor do I pretend to be.  I’ve never really been one to sit down and watch a full Celtics game, unless it was in the playoffs or a marquee matchup against a team like the Heat or Knicks.  I guess you may call me a **gasp** bandwagon fan.

However, even with my level of dedication to the Celtics self-classified as minimal, it’s still pretty sad seeing Pierce and Garnett in the Nets' black and white.

Paul Pierce was the face of a Celtics organization steeped in tradition.  He was a clutch player who always wanted the ball in his hands with the game on the line.  The Truth had been a fan favorite since the start of his career with the Celtics in 1998.  To be fair, through all the rough seasons of his early Celtics career, the ballot for fan favorite was pretty limited.  But starting in 2007, that would change.

With a blockbuster trade before the season, the Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett and that other guy; I forget his name.  And thus, the Big Three was formed.  The Celtics popularity skyrocketed, as they became immediate championship contenders.  They became a fun team to watch, thanks in large part to Kevin Garnett.

Garnett was the type of player who made it perfectly clear that he was giving the team everything he had, every night.  He was just a really entertaining player to watch.



Whether he was doing knuckle pushups or scolding himself for missing a free throw, Garnett won Celtics fans over.  Another thing that endeared him to fans was the fact that he loved playing for Boston and its fans.

It was a sad day when the news broke of a trade sending both Pierce and Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets.  It was clear in the press conference introducing them to Brooklyn that they were disappointed in being unable to end their careers in Boston.  Pierce was especially upset, seeing as he had spent his entire career in Boston and after signing his previous contract, was under the impression he would be ending his career in Celtic green.

I honestly can’t think of another athlete departure from a Boston team that has made me as sad as that of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.  Unfortunately, with Pierce and Garnett went most of (if not all) of the Celtics likability and character.

I understand that the move had to be made and was the first step in a necessary rebuilding process, I just would have liked to see Pierce and Garnett play their finals seasons as Celtics.


Lastly, I would be remiss if I didn't include this video, seeing as it was the best part about watching Garnett play.