Finally.
It’s been 21 years since the Celtics have won an NBA title. If you’d been paying any bit of attention to the Finals, you probably knew that already. ESPN is nothing if not redundant in their rattling off of milestones and crucial numbers. In that case, you probably already knew that this was the franchise’s 17th NBA title. If you watched the game, you probably even overheard Mike Breen point out that the Celtics won their 17th title on the 17th of June, while the camera was trained on John Havelicek, the Hall of Fame Celtic legend who wore number 17 in his playing days. If only Hondo had won 17 titles as a player, Breen might have had himself an aneurysm.
I’m not a huge Celtics fan. I appreciate the tradition and the history and the Hall of Fame players, but all of that isn’t the reason that I’ve been cheering so hard for the Boston Celtics this year. This is-
KG. The Big Ticket. Kevin Garnett. The long-time Minnesota Timberwolf who came into the league when I was only 16 years old and who I’ve admired ever since. I died with every first-round exit that the Wolves would suffer when KG was in his prime. I was on the edge of my seat when he led his team to the Western Conference Finals, only to come up just short.
When KG was traded to Boston this last summer, I was conflicted. I didn’t want him to leave my favorite team, who he’d been so loyal to over the years, but I wanted him to win a title before he retired and going to Boston, along with Ray Allen, was the best way to do that. The team management in Minnesota had screwed up over and over again in their efforts to surround Kevin with a complementary cast. In Boston, with a slew of young talent, a sharpshooter in Ray Allen and an annual All-Star in Paul Pierce, he didn’t have to be the centerpiece. He could thrive off of his teammates and be a part of a team.
Some sports writers and analysts will say in the coming days that the Celtics rubbed it in by playing so hard throughout the 4th quarter, but that it wasn’t rubbing it in. If you get all the way to the NBA Finals and you get blown out 131-92, it’s not the other team’s fault. KG had all those lean years in Minnesota and Boston’s had their share, as well. But really, take your pick. The long drought between championships, playing against your arch-rival in the LA Lakers, KG’s career, Paul Pierce’s career, Doc Rivers’ coaching job. This is just catharsis and the Lakers got in the way. It’s not exactl pretty, but that’s the things shake out.
Congratulations to the Boston Celtics and congrats to Kevin Garnett. I can’t express how unbelievably happy I am for you. There’s only one way that this title could be sweeter-
That, is a thing of beauty.
Update: In a rambunctious post-game interview with Michell Tafoya, KG included Minnesota in his shout-outs. I can’t describe how happy that makes me.
