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LOS ANGELES: Until Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen united
this season with the Boston Celtics, their dreams of a National
Basketball Association (NBA) title appeared doomed to failure.
Garnett advanced past the first round once in 12
years with Minnesota while Allen knew only frustration in 11 total
seasons with Seattle and Milwaukee and Pierce spent nine years as
the only major threat for the Celtics.
Now this tremendous trio has lifted the Celtics
to the verge of their 17th NBA crown, and the first since 1986, with
Boston carrying a 3-1 lead over the Los Angeles Lakers into Game 5
of the best-of-7 series here Sunday.
“They play with a lot of passion,” Celtics
coach Doc Rivers said. “Kevin, Ray and Paul have played a long
time for an opportunity. At the end of the day, you have got to go
finish it or it’s just an opportunity.”
Garnett and Allen were brought to Boston after
last season’s miserable 24-58 campaign, inspiring Pierce and
making the Celtics the NBA team to beat. The three stars have lived
up to their hype.
“The three of us, we respect each other,”
Garnett said. “We don’t speak about it but we know it’s there.
We’ve sacrificed. We know we’re examples. We know we have a lot
of responsibility. The onus is on us.
“Since day one, we’ve grown even more.
We’ve made it work. To be forever linked with these two guys is a
blessing. It makes me proud to be a teammate and a personal friend.
I’m grateful.”
Each player has sacrificed some of his
individual achievements to better serve the group.
“To be with Paul and Ray in this situation and
the three of us having the same situation a year ago is very
special,” Garnett said. “It has definitely been a journey.
It’s really special and I’m more than honored to be with those
guys now.
“It’s about what you are able to sacrifice.
The reason the three of us work is because we actually don’t just
talk about sacrifice but it’s something we actually exercise.
It’s our way of life. We put the team above everything.”
Defense became a focal point for all three as
well.
“If it didn’t we wouldn’t be here,”
Rivers said. “It started the first day. We had a long talk and the
only thing I brought up was defense. It was great because Kevin
Garnett was the guy standing up saying, ‘Listen, he’s right. We
can score. So what? We’re not going to win unless we can play
defense.’
“And we did as a team. Our players had to buy
into it. They have been fantastic. But Kevin has been the leader in
that and when you hear Paul say Kevin has changed the culture of our
team, that is what he is saying.”
Pierce has become the scoring leader with Allen
the vocal encouraging spirit and Garnett showing an example with
determination and dedication.
“Each guy leads in their own way, Kevin with
his intensity and his focus,” Rivers said. “Ray is the talker of
the group. He likes getting guys on the side, the mentor. Guys
listen. They like that.”
Rivers has seen the change in Pierce from having
to carry the Celtics alone to achieving his potential with a little
help from his friends.
“Better players around him make him better,
let him do more things,” Rivers said. “He was just the guy who
had to do everything. That’s tough. To do it all, that’s a
lot.”
Pierce has formed a bond on and off the court
with Garnett and Allen.
“It feels great because we came together but
we relate together. That’s what makes this so special,” Pierce
said. “We’re excited to be here definitely but we will be even
more overjoyed when we win it.”
Garnett was pleased to see boyhood pal Allen in
Boston’s green and white as well after leaving behind the
frustrations of failure in Minnesota.
-- AFP
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