Late last night news broke that the NBA was going to cancel another two weeks of the regular season. My feeling throughout this whole lockout is that we won't have a regular season at all. And that has got me thinking about my favorite team, the Boston Celtics, and what it means for the franchise with the most Larry O'Brien trophies.
What it really means is that this is the end of the Kevin Garnett era of Boston Celtics basketball. And by that I mean RIP to the chance of winning titles with the New Big Three. We knew this team had at least a 4 year window. We got one title in 2008. Were a KG injury from getting back to the Finals in 2009. Came so so close in winning in 2010. And we were geared up to do it again in 2011 until the Perk/Jeff Green trade railroaded the season. KG, Ray, Pierce, and Rondo will still all be back next time NBA will be played and it'll still be fun to watch but they won't be at a championship level (kills me to say). The Heat are there, along with the Bulls, Knicks, 76ers are hungry. The Boston Celtics are not the class of the East anymore. It was a tremendous 4 year of basketball and it meant a lot to me personally.
Ask anyone that knows me how I always talk about how the Celtics were the first team that I remember as young kid.
Ask anyone how I was basically raised on watching Larry Bird 80s games on my father's VHS tapes and ESPN Classic.
Ask anyone how during the Celtics 18 game losing streak in 2006, I started to become delusional and would wish for the glory days of Larry Bird and Red Auerbach even though I wasn't alive during it.
Ask anyone how devastated I was that the Celtics didn't get one of those top 2 picks in the Oden/Durant draft. Turns out it was the best thing that happened.
Ask anyone how pumped I was when the KG deal went through and I finally had a legit Celtic team to call my own.
I could go on and on. I was so happy when they won the title. I ran around the championship parade like a 3 year old. I was equally devastated when KG hurt his knee in Utah. We probably would've went back to back that year. Perk hurt his knee in 2010 in Game 6. If Perk's healthy in Game 7, I guarantee that we would've won that game and that championship in LA. I still have visions of Ron Artest hitting the biggest shot in that game to basically seal it for the Lakers. And don't get me started on the Perk trade. Worst trade ever.
So that's that on the New Big Three. Great basketball, great memories watching those games with my friends. Something that I always dreamed about. Only got 4 years of it after I waited 20 years. Here's hoping I don't have to wait another 20 years.
P.S. on Notre Dame. What a debacle. Come out and get down 17-0. Came back make it 17-10, get down to 1 yard line about to tie it and fumble. USC takes it back for a touchdown. Then its 24-17 after USC shanked a field goal and then they turn it over on a swing pass which ended up being ruled a lateral. Next play, touchdown Trojans. USC was begging to give that game away and Notre Dame couldn't take advantage. The Irish never come through for me when I want them too.
Until next time...
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