The Aftermath

by Austin Peters

I don't think that Celtics fans have experienced more of a free fall than what has occurred over the last month.

I, like my fellow Celtic brethren, have had to suffer through the media frenzy that has surrounded the franchise.  There have been a lot of stories that have been going on throughout the past month; Dwight Howard's possible team for next season, the NBA draft, the coaching carousel that has happened this offseason.  But no matter what ground breaking news that has surfaced regarding these topics, it has always taken a backseat to whatever it is the Celtics have been doing.  Most fans would say that this is a good thing.  If we really dig deep and dissect what has happened over this roller coaster of a month then yes, everything that has happened to the Celtics have been positive things. The way the media has outlined and covered the stories, however, one wouldn't think so.

The greatest era of my life came to an end over the course of this last month.  I have followed the NBA for a long time but never really dug into it until 2007 when my favorite player of all time got traded to the most storied franchise in NBA history...

July 31, 2007

The Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves had been discussing a deal for quite some time.  The Wolves were looking to rebuild and the Celtics, after making a splash and trading for star shooting guard Ray Allen in the draft, were looking to make headlines yet again and add another piece that would help them in their efforts towards another title.  Kevin Garnett was the prize they were after but the Big Ticket had been very reluctant to leaving Minnesota and did not want to leave the place he had called home for so long.  Trade talks died out and both teams seemed content with going forward with their current rosters.  Shortly after this, however, Garnett suddenly had a change of heart and was welcoming to the idea of teaming up with Allen and Celtics' franchise star Paul Pierce.  Celtics GM Danny Ainge called his friend and former teammate Kevin McHale (Wolves GM) and resurrected the trade talks and got the deal done.  The "Big 3" era had officially begun...

June 17, 2008

After a 66-16 regular season that gave them homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs, the Celtics made it to the NBA Finals to face off against their arch rivals the Los Angeles Lakers.  In Game 6, led by Garnett's 26 point, 14 rebound performance and the hot shooting of Ray Allen, the Celtics stomped the Lakers to win 131-92 to clinch their 17th title in franchise history.  I still get goosebumps when I watch Garnett's post game interview.  After many years of rebuilding and frustration, Coach Doc Rivers had finally gotten a good team to put together and coach.  Rajon Rondo had emerged as a top point guard in the NBA.  In their first year together, the "Boston Three Party" had proved that they could win a championship and it looked as if they would be winning many in the years to come...

2009-2012

The Celtics continued their dominance over the course of the next four seasons, always finishing at the top of the Eastern Conference.  They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2009 only to lose to Dwight Howard's Orlando Magic in six.  2010 brought a rematch against the Lakers in the Finals where Boston gave away a lead in Game 7 and watched their enemies celebrate a championship.  The following year, with Garnett sidelined during the playoffs due to an injury, the Celtics lost to the new look Miami Heat who had brought in a "Big 3" of their own that summer.  In 2012, the Celtics fought off all of the nay-sayers and critics battling their way through a grueling seven game series in the Eastern Conference Finals against their new rivals in Miami and lost after a miraculous Game 6 performance by LeBron and a determined Dwyane Wade in Game 7.  They had poured out so much into that run that it looked like this could be it.  The "Big 3" had finally showed their age, that superstars can't be superstars forever, and that loyalty is a lost trait in today's game...

July 10, 2012

After all that the team had gone through and after all the success they had shared together over the last five years, Ray Allen decided to leave more money on the table and take a pay cut to join the Celtics new hated rival the Miami Heat.  The first domino had fallen.  Ray Allen's betrayal of a locker room that battled through adversity after adversity together was the beginning of the end for the Celtics...

2012-2013

Garnett and Pierce battled injuries all season long and star point guard Rajon Rondo tore his ACL in January, cementing Boston's future destiny for that season.  The Celtics limped into the playoffs as the seven seed and lost a tough six game series to another rival, the New York Knicks.  Boston once again showed resilience and fight as they went down 3-0 in the series and then battled back only to come up short in Game 6 at home.  A long and dark offseason was ahead.  Pierce is entering into the last season of his contract, Garnett isn't getting any younger, and Rondo's name has always been on the trading block.  Yet none of these aforementioned storylines were what kicked off the gloomy month that was about to follow...

June 23, 2013

After on-again, off-again trade talks went down for a span of a month, the Celtics tenured head coach Doc Rivers decided it was time for a "change of scenery" and left Boston to go coach the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for a future first round pick.  Rivers went back and forth the whole time between wanting to leave, wanting to stay, blaming Rondo, blaming Bill Simmons, etc.  A city and franchise that Doc allegedly "loved" was now not good enough for him after he had previously promised Danny Ainge he would coach Boston through another rebuild.  Doc proved once again that loyalty is a lost trait in today's game...

June 27, 2013

Days after the mess with Doc Rivers ended, the Celtics officially put a bow on the greatest era of my lifetime.  Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Jason Terry (another personal favorite of mine) were shipped to the Brooklyn Nets for a package of players (still mad I have to watch Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries next season) and a multitude of draft picks.  The "Big 3" era was now officially over.  Allen was celebrating in Miami.  Doc had quit on the team.  And now the two remaining pieces from the "Boston Three Party" were sent away in order to usher in the rebuild of the Celtics. All the memories and moments shared over the last six seasons were now just that, memories and moments.  No more Garnett talking trash.  No more Pierce late game winners.  No more classic Doc pump up speeches.  No more Ray Allen corner threes.  It's all over (just give me a moment, the tears are coming back...).

When we really sit and think about this last month, after we spend our time shedding tears and sharing memories, this month really was not as tumultuous as it seems.  After the Doc Rivers and Nets trades, Boston now has a total of 9 first round picks in the next five years including two in the next year's stacked 2014 draft class (if Andrew Wiggins becomes a Celtic...).  Ainge has also set themselves up to have a lot of cap room in next year's loaded 2014 free agency class (even if I have to watch Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries for one year).  And to top it all off, yesterday they got this Brad Stevens guy who is a pretty solid coach (WE GOT BRAD STEVENS!!!).  It will be a long, grueling couple years but it is safe to say that there is light at the end of the tunnel for the Celtics.  After the explosion that has happened over the last month, there is hope to be found in the aftermath.