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

Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

According to Marc Stein and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, the Los Angeles Clippers are reportedly discussing a trade that would send backup point guard Eric Bledsoe to the Utah Jazz for power forward Paul Milsap.

Sources with knowledge of the situation told ESPN.com late Saturday that there is a level of mutual interest between the Clippers and Utah Jazz in exploring a deal that would feature Bledsoe as the headliner in a trade package for Jazz forward Paul Millsap.

Although two sources with knowledge of the Clippers’ thinking insisted during All-Star Weekend that Bledsoe would not be moved in coming days and strongly predicted that L.A. would stand pat, two other sources indicated that the Clippers and Jazz will at least discuss the feasibility of a trade headlined by Bledsoe and Millsap before the deadline.

Bledsoe is averaging 9.6 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists a game for Los Angeles, while Milsap is averaging 15.1 points and 7.4 rebounds out in Utah.

More pieces would need to be added to make this trade happen, as a straight-up swap wouldn’t work from a financial standpoint (Clippers would be over luxury tax threshold).

If this potential deal has any legs behind it, both sides should be eager to make this trade come into fruition before the February 21st deadline.

It works out for everyone involved.

The Utah Jazz need a legit starting point guard like diabetics need insulin. A three-man combination of Mo Williams, Jamaal Tinsley and Earl Watson just won’t cut it anymore. Eric is a huge upgrade over all three of them, so it’s safe to assume that he would jump right in the line of fire and become the new starter at the point right off the bat.

With the return of Chauncey Billups, Bledsoe’s minutes will slowly start to decrease more and more as the playoffs approach. At least in Utah, he could thrive in an offense that will certainly give him more playing time than he’s getting as a Clipper.

Paul Milsap is expendable to Utah. The Jazz have huge depth in their frontcourt (Al Jefferson, Enes Kanter, Derrick Favors), so they can afford to part ways with at least one of them and not lose any of their strength down low.

It should also be noted that Milsap will become an unrestricted free-agent in July, so he will be free to sign with whichever team he chooses this summer. The Clippers would more than likely need some sort of insurance that he plans to re-sign with the team, rather than trading away a quality asset in Bledsoe for a player who has no intention of sticking around long-term.

The Clippers have little depth off the bench at the power forward position (Lamar Odom), so Milsap can fill a need for Los Angeles by spotting Blake Griffin in the second-unit. Paul is a much more aggressive player on offense than Odom. He can also rebound, box out and play strong defense in the paint. He’s come off the bench before in his career, so that shouldn’t be an issue.

As with all trade rumors, it’s not a given that this deal will in fact happen, but considering the value it brings to both the Clippers and Jazz, I don’t see why it shouldn’t.

Chris Walder is the Editor of Sir Charles in Charge. You may follow him on Twitter at @WalderSports