The warrior clenched his fist and teeth, tried to contain his emotion. But inevitably, tears started streaming down her face. Kevin Garnett, helped by his daughters, pulled on the rope which by leverage pulled a banner stamped with his surname and the number 5 he wore with the Celtics from 2007 to 2013 to the heights of TD Garden.
Garnett (45), inducted at the same time as Kobe Bryant into the Hall of Fame, in 2020, joined Bill Russell, Larry Bird, John Havlicek, Red Auerbach, Bob Cousy, as well as his contemporary Paul Pierce in the legend of the Celtics ( 23 numbers were retired in Boston). “He allowed the Celtics to become the Celtics again”, said in particular the intense and moving tribute video broadcast for the occasion. Several times during the evening, Garnett shouted at the public, hitting his heart with his right hand, erupting a conquered audience, who quickly forgot the defeat just suffered against Dallas (92-95) and a Luka Doncic incandescent (26 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists).
“I want to thank Danny Ainge, for the vision, Doc Rivers, for coaching us the hard way, to the point of making us invincible”slipped in particular the hero of the evening.
Reconciliation with Ray Allen
No Celtics player will now be able to wear number 5. With his athletic abilities and exceptional mobility for his height (2.11 m), the one nicknamed “The Big Ticket”, drafted in 5e position by Minnesota in 1995, redefined the codes and helped open up the field of possibilities for interior players (17.8 points, 10 rebounds, 3.7 career average assists). His aggressiveness in defense (best defender NBA 2008), his warrior temperament and his taste for trash-talking also marked a rich career of fifteen selections to the All-Star Game and a title of MVP of the regular season, in 2004 The native of Greenville, South Carolina, gave the Celtics their seventeenth NBA title in 2008 – a record, tied with the LA Lakers, who joined their rival from Massachusetts in 2020 – in the season of his arrived, when the club formed a Big Three with Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.
Scrambled with Garnett since his decision to leave the Celtics for Miami in 2012, the latter was in the game Sunday night, in the first row. Enough to offer supporters a reconciliation sequence. “It’s good to see Ray Allen in this room. It’s good to see you here. You’re next on the list, bro”, launched Garnett in the middle of his speech, inviting his ex-companion of conquests on the floor for a hug and an exchange full of respect. The two were soon joined by Pierce for a giant hug greeted by an ecstatic crowd.
“You brought pride back to Boston”
“I am happy to have come, Allen said. It was hard for me to have to stay out of this town when there are so many people here that I love, while I spent time here, not being able to “connect” with them anymore. But on some level, I thought people had to feel the way Kevin felt about me. The fact that he accepted me, called me back to his side, means that the people here have done the same. I’m happy that we were able to live this moment, to get to the point where we understand that the only thing that really matters is that we won, all together, in 2008.
The ceremony, which began 30 minutes after the defeat against Dallas, lasted an hour, hosted by Brian Scalabrine, known as the “White Mamba”, also champion in 2008. But the meeting gave rise to three standing ovations in tribute to Garnett, and a scene like a handover, when Jaylen Brown came up for a monstrous dunk. Garnett, sitting just behind the basket, got up from his chair for a manly check in the middle of a game with the C’s winger before he returned to defense.
Many thanks
“Any coach, in the United States and around the world, should have the opportunity to coach Kevin Garnett, launched in a video statement Doc Rivers, absent in Boston because his Philadelphia team was playing at the same time in Orlando. Kevin is the best teammate I have ever seen in this sport. »
“You brought back the culture of winning and the sense of pride at a time when this franchise desperately needed it. saluted Paul Pierce. So I want to thank you as a teammate, as a friend, as a brother. »