Doc Rivers still remains very appreciative of his Boston Celtics team that had a special championship run in 2008. In fact, Rivers would still pick his Big Three Celtics squad over his current Kawhi Leonard and Paul George-led LA Clippers, should those two heavyweights face off in an alternate universe.
Recently, in a special with Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated, the former Coach of the Year spoke volumes about his superstar big man on that squad, Kevin Garnett, and called him “the greatest superstar team-builder” ever in NBA history:
“Kevin Garnett is the greatest superstar team-builder that I’ve seen in the history of the game,” said Rivers. “He always considered the team before any action that he took on or off the floor, and for that to also be your superstar player is unusual. Kevin Garnett, like Tom Brady, is a culture-builder. When you have a guy like that, you’re going to win. Kevin is one of the greatest of all-time, but he’d be the last one to tell you.
“He was in the right mental place to win in Boston, as were Paul and Ray. They’d already done so many other things in their careers, but the one thing that stood out was something they couldn’t buy, something they couldn’t do alone. In order to do this, they had to come together as a group. Kevin really understood that, and he was willing to sacrifice anything for that, including his numbers and his fame.”
Garnett was the defensive anchor of Boston during its contending years from 2008 to 2012. More than that, he was also their emotional leader. No matter how passionate and heated he could get at times, even with his teammates, they knew that Garnett always had one goal in mind: do whatever it takes win.
Their renowned Big Three of Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen all had to sacrifice when joining forces. They all collectively put their egos aside with a championship goal in mind.
Obviously, all of those sacrifices were worth it in the end, as they won the Larry O'Brien Trophy in 2008.
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