Celtics are retiring KGs #5 next season

[myronbolitar]

KG changed not only the Celtics culture but how the franchise was viewed in the 2000s.

People who don't know like to talk about the drought between winning in 1986 and 2008, how that era of Celtics basketball sucked, etc. and yet forget that the two guys who would've carried them to the new millenium - Len Bias and Reggie Lewis - died. That would set any franchise so far back.

When KG came in, he breathed life into the franchise - and while ownership, Ainge, Doc, and Pierce were already in place, KG almost overnight took them to another level.

This isn't even a question - he absolutely deserves to have 5 hang in the rafters.

[AbeVigodaLive]

Isn’t there bad blood between KG and the owner of the Wolves? This is the right move by Boston, KG helped them win a ring and embraced Boston as soon as he got there. Glad the Celts are doing this.

Yup. Glen Taylor reneged on a promise to sell the team.

And the bad blood goes beyond that. A recap...

4/19/2006. Game #82.
The Wolves were in danger of losing a draft pick in the ill-fated Marko Jaric trade... so they sat Garnett for the final 6 games. They were tied with another team for ping pong balls in the draft lottery going into the game. In what was probably the most blatant example of a tank in NBA history...

- Mark Madsen took 15 shots... made 1. He took SEVEN three pointers in the 4th quarter and OT. The Wolves lost.
Madsen shot 16% on layups and dunks... and 17% on free throws his last two years in the NBA. Those aren't exaggerated numbers. That's literally how bad he was. Anyway... the Wolves did get a higher draft pick... and then they traded down with that pick for $2M... that went right into Glen Taylor's pocket.

Fast forward to 3/19/2008:
After Garnett was traded (Wolves decision, not his)... Boston thrived. Meanwhile, the Wolves were 16 - 50 at the time. When asked about whether the team would tank like the previous season(s)... Glen Taylor bristled:

"I don't think we tanked. It was more like KG tanked it."

So the owner ripped his former star player ... a guy who had missed 25 games in 12 years! ... as the real tanker ... despite the team imploring literally the worst shooter in the NBA to take SEVEN three pointers in 15 minutes of action.

____________

So yes... a lot of bad blood. And it's justified.

[MoMan24]

Rajon Rondo's 8+ years in Boston

NBA Champion (08)
2 Finals Appearances (08,10)
4 Time All-Star (10,11,12,13)
All-NBA 3rd Team (12)
All-Defensive 1st Team (10,11)
All-Defensive 2nd Team (09,12)
All-Rookie 2nd Team (07)
3 Time Ast Champ (12,13,16)
Steals Champ (10)
4th All-Time in Assists
2nd All-Time in Steals
3rd All-Time in Playoff Assists
2nd All-Time in Playoff Steals
2nd Most Triple Doubles
Tied for 1st in Playoff Triple Doubles
1st in Ast Per Game
1st in Stl Per Game
1st in Playoff Ast Per Game
1st in Playoff Stl Per game

[slick21]

Honestly, it's a slap in the face to the Minnesota fans. He needs to put aside his beef with Glen Taylor and let the fans and organization honor him and rightfully raise #21 to the rafters of Target Center.

[AssistRubio]

The Wolves have been around 30 years. The fact that Glen Taylor managed to screw up the relationship between him and the only legendary player in franchise history should tell you something.

[theforumblue]

Owners an idiot. Kg is petty as hell. Made for each other.

kg is going into hall of fame in Celtics gear yeah?

[StojkoVrankovic]

nobody posted the video????? the Celts killed this

Watch on YouTube

[dautjazz]

15pts & 8reb can get u a jersey in the rafters in boston now , wow

Read on Twitter

Exactly, for all the success the Celtics had, they went on a relative drought not winning since 1987, and after Bird they were mostly an after thought, missing the playoffs 8 times, mostly first round exits, and just a few 2nd round exits. KG really put the Celtics back in contention, and even since KG left they've been very relevant. The only year they missed the playoffs since they got KG was the year they traded KG (and Pierce).

[bubonicphoniks]

Anything is possible.

Sent from my SM-G965U using RealGM mobile app

[DirtyDez]

All thanks to Shawn Marion not agreeing to an extension with Boston:

https://www.espn.com/nba/news/story?id=2917781

https://defpen.com/kevin-garnett-trade-to-suns-in-2007-stopped-by-shawn-marion-contract-demands/