Why Boston Celtics Forward Kevin Garnett Should Have Accepted A Deal To The Los Angeles Clippers Before The NBA Trade Deadline
By Chris Walder
Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
The 2004 NBA Most Valuable Player. 15 NBA All-Star Game appearances. Nine NBA All-Defensive Teams. Four All-NBA Teams.
A 2008 NBA Championship.
That’s quite the historic resume, don’t you think?
In the grand scheme of things, we value championships more than anything else. That’s what defines your legacy in sports. Personal achievements have their scale, but the amount of rings on your finger is what sets you apart from the rest of the pack.
Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, Karl Malone, Patrick Ewing and John Stockton were all great players, but they could never be held in higher regard than a Michael Jordan, Bill Russell or Kobe Bryant.
Why?
They aren’t champions. It matters. A lot.
Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics has his NBA Championship. That’s huge.
Well, if he truly wanted too, he may have been able to add one more before he rides off into the sunset to end his career.
Rumors had circulated all week of a possible deal between the Celtics and Los Angeles Clippers, that would have sent Garnett to L.A in exchange for DeAndre Jordan and Eric Bledsoe.
According to sources, Clippers guard Chris Paul had been in contact with Kevin prior to Thursdays 3:00 pm Trade Deadline, trying to gauge any interest he had in possibly joining the team.
If Garnett made it clear that he was willing to waive his no-trade clause and accept a deal to play for Los Angeles, then Chris Paul could have made it come to fruition, considering the amount of power and pull he has with management.
Ultimately, nothing came of it. Kevin Garnett is still a Boston Celtic, and if things stay the course, he will eventually retire wearing the green and white.
The glory days of the “Big Three” (Garnett/Paul Pierce/Ray Allen) are officially over. Allen is now a member of the Miami Heat, Garnett and Pierce (while still productive) are 36 and 35 respectively, and All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo is out for the season with a torn ACL.
The Celtics veterans and head coach Doc Rivers believe that as long as they have a breath in their bodies, that they will continue to be competitive and scratch and claw their way back to the NBA Finals.
Sometimes, you just have to think with your head instead of your heart.
It’s not going to happen. That’s the harsh truth of the situation.
With a record of 29-26, the Boston Celtics sit seventh in the Eastern Conference. If the season ended today, they would be matched up with the 34-21 Indiana Pacers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.
With their current roster, Boston could possibly sneak out a round in the postseason with the talent they have, but getting past the elite teams of the conference (New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Pacers) will be no easy task. I don’t see it happening.
That’s why Kevin Garnett should have joined the Los Angeles Clippers.
Loyalty can only take you so far. It’s admirable, but winning should be all that matters.
The 39-18 Clippers gave Kevin the greater chance to win another NBA Championship. You add a defensive-minded big who can shoot the basketball and defend the paint in Garnett to a team as deep as the Clippers are (Paul, Blake Griffin, Chauncey Billups, Jamal Crawford), and you have the makings of a legitimate threat to the Oklahoma City Thunders reign atop the Western Conference.
It’s hard to argue that Los Angeles doesn’t have the better odds of winning a ring in 2013 than Boston does.
All the power in the world to Kevin Garnett though. He wants to be in Boston. That’s saying something. Whether he can win another ring or not, he’s (more than likely) going out a Celtic.
That’s refreshing, especially in a day and age where big names are moving from team to team like a hot potato.
One NBA Championship is nice, but two is twice as nice.
Chris Walder is the Editor of Sir Charles in Charge. You may follow him on Twitter at @WalderSports