Paul Pierce says Kevin Garnett's number will be next retired by Celtics

http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22429293/paul-pierce-says-boston-celtics-retire-no-5-honor-kevin-garnett



Paul Pierce says Kevin Garnett's number will be next retired by Celtics



11:11 PM PT

Chris Forsberg
ESPN Staff Writer



BOSTON -- Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce believes Kevin Garnett's No. 5 will soon hang alongside Pierce's No. 34 in the rafters at TD Garden.

After Pierce's number was retired Sunday in Boston, the 10-time All-Star wondered if, in an era of players switching teams in free agency, it might be a while before Boston's next number retirement. Pierce later told ESPN that he believes Garnett is a slam-dunk to join him.

"Without a doubt, KG's number will be [the next one] retired in Boston," said Pierce. "It's going to happen."


In response to comments on his absence from Paul Pierce's jersey retirement, Ray Allen wrote a love letter on Instagram to the city of Boston, the 2008 championship team and Pierce himself.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said the team has had informal discussions about retiring Garnett's number, but that a final decision would come from ownership.

Pierce, who played his first 15 seasons in Boston, signed a one-day contract with the Celtics last summer in order to retire as a member of the team. Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck later called Pierce to tell him the team planned to retire his No. 34 this season.

Pierce's was the 22nd number retired by the Celtics. Some argue that Garnett, who played six seasons in Boston after being acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves, didn't have a long enough tenure to have his jersey retired.

"It was six years of potential championship-caliber teams and All-Star play from KG," said Ainge. "I think that it was a pretty significant impact he had in those six years."

Garnett is credited with changing the culture in Boston. The arrival of Garnett and Ray Allen helped the Celtics vault from a 24-win team at the bottom of the East in 2006-07 to a 66-win squad that brought home Boston's 17th title a year later.

It's telling that the team has yet to put Garnett's No. 5 jersey back into circulation since his departure in 2013. Gordon Hayward took Ray Allen's No. 20 jersey when he signed as a free agent last offseason.


Paul Pierce, right, told ESPN he believes the Boston Celtics will next retire the jersey of former teammate Kevin Garnett. AP Photo/Charles Krupa


There is one opening on an eight-square banner that Pierce's number joined Sunday. Brian Scalabrine, a reserve on the 2008 title team and now a TV analyst for the Celtics, said he thinks it's only fitting that Garnett and Pierce share a banner together in the rafters.

"They go together. Those two guys are linked. That's how it is," said Scalabrine. "Even the fact that there's one more spot on that banner, that spot is No. 5. He's the guy. They hang out [together in Los Angeles], they also hang out right next to each other on the banner. There's no argument out there that he does not belong on that banner. No one out there can make that argument."

Scalabrine also noted how Boston was able to accelerate through its most recent rebuilding process with the collection of picks and assets the Celtics got in return for trading Pierce and Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets. Keeping Pierce and Garnett together on the banner would also reflect their impact on the team even after their departure.

Current Celtics big man Al Horford believes Garnett has earned a spot on the banner.


"He deserves to be up there," said Horford. "Huge impact. In my eyes, from the outside looking in, he made everything happen. He was the type of glue guy, he was a leader, he was the guy that changed everything. It takes a lot of pieces. I know he's never going to want to take the credit, but I feel like his number should be up there. There's no question about it."

The hardest part for the Celtics might simply be getting Garnett to endure an entire ceremony in his honor. But Pierce thinks Garnett would be open to the idea, especially given his affinity for the organization and the championship he won here.

"[Garnett would] rather have his jersey retired in Boston than in Minnesota," said Pierce. "He'll eventually have his number retired with the Timberwolves, too, but he'll have to wait until management sells the team."

ESPN's Jackie MacMullan contributed to this report.



bob
MY NOTE:  KG didn't come to the Celtics until he was already 31 years old.  He played for us for 6 years.  That's more years than he played for Brooklyn but FAR fewer than he played for Minny.  Ray Allen played for the Celtics for 5 years, so almost the same number.  Same number of championships as KG and he was instrumental in that one as well, not just for what he did on the court but 'no Ray Allen, no Kevin Garnett' because KG would not have agreed to the trade to Boston (and signing an extension when he got here, which was a critical key to Boston's willingness to make the trade) without the arrival of Ray Allen.  

Playing the Devil's Advocate here KG is not Celtics-bred, Celtics-drafted.  He played for a shorter period of time than I'll bet Brown or Tatum will play here, less than Rondo was here.  What is the standard, the guidelines, the minimum requirements for joining The Legends and becoming a Celtic Forever? Being an All-Star starter on a Championship team? Rondo's #9 should be retired then. Where's the line?


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 -- Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce believes Kevin Garnett's No. 5 will soon hang alongside Pierce's No. 34 in the rafters at TD Garden. wrote:
After Pierce's number was retired Sunday in Boston, the 10-time All-Star wondered if, in an era of players switching teams in free agency, it might be a while before Boston's next number retirement. Pierce later told ESPN that he believes Garnett is a slam-dunk to join him.

"Without a doubt, KG's number will be [the next one] retired in Boston," said Pierce. "It's going to happen."


In response to comments on his absence from Paul Pierce's jersey retirement, Ray Allen wrote a love letter on Instagram to the city of Boston, the 2008 championship team and Pierce himself.

Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said the team has had informal discussions about retiring Garnett's number, but that a final decision would come from ownership.

Pierce, who played his first 15 seasons in Boston, signed a one-day contract with the Celtics last summer in order to retire as a member of the team. Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck later called Pierce to tell him the team planned to retire his No. 34 this season.

Pierce's was the 22nd number retired by the Celtics. Some argue that Garnett, who played six seasons in Boston after being acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves, didn't have a long enough tenure to have his jersey retired.

"It was six years of potential championship-caliber teams and All-Star play from KG," said Ainge. "I think that it was a pretty significant impact he had in those six years."

Garnett is credited with changing the culture in Boston. The arrival of Garnett and Ray Allen helped the Celtics vault from a 24-win team at the bottom of the East in 2006-07 to a 66-win squad that brought home Boston's 17th title a year later.

It's telling that the team has yet to put Garnett's No. 5 jersey back into circulation since his departure in 2013. Gordon Hayward took Ray Allen's No. 20 jersey when he signed as a free agent last offseason.


Paul Pierce, right, told ESPN he believes the Boston Celtics will next retire the jersey of former teammate Kevin Garnett. AP Photo/Charles Krupa


There is one opening on an eight-square banner that Pierce's number joined Sunday. Brian Scalabrine, a reserve on the 2008 title team and now a TV analyst for the Celtics, said he thinks it's only fitting that Garnett and Pierce share a banner together in the rafters.

"They go together. Those two guys are linked. That's how it is," said Scalabrine. "Even the fact that there's one more spot on that banner, that spot is No. 5. He's the guy. They hang out [together in Los Angeles], they also hang out right next to each other on the banner. There's no argument out there that he does not belong on that banner. No one out there can make that argument."

Scalabrine also noted how Boston was able to accelerate through its most recent rebuilding process with the collection of picks and assets the Celtics got in return for trading Pierce and Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets. Keeping Pierce and Garnett together on the banner would also reflect their impact on the team even after their departure.

Current Celtics big man Al Horford believes Garnett has earned a spot on the banner.


"He deserves to be up there," said Horford. "Huge impact. In my eyes, from the outside looking in, he made everything happen. He was the type of glue guy, he was a leader, he was the guy that changed everything. It takes a lot of pieces. I know he's never going to want to take the credit, but I feel like his number should be up there. There's no question about it."

The hardest part for the Celtics might simply be getting Garnett to endure an entire ceremony in his honor. But Pierce thinks Garnett would be open to the idea, especially  this report.



bob
MY NOTE:  KG didn't come to the Celtics until he was already 31 years old.  He played for us for 6 years.  That's more years than he played for Brooklyn but FAR fewer than he played for Minny.  Ray Allen played for the Celtics for 5 years, so almost the same number.  Same number of championships as KG and he was instrumental in that one as well, not just for what he did on the court but 'no Ray Allen, no Kevin Garnett' because KG would not have agreed to the trade to Boston (and signing an extension when he got here, which was a critical key to Boston's willingness to make the trade) without the arrival of Ray Allen.  

Playing the Devil's Advocate here KG is not Celtics-bred, Celtics-drafted.  He played for a shorter period of time than I'll bet Brown or Tatum will play here, less than Rondo was here.  What is the standard, the guidelines, the minimum requirements for joining The Legends and becoming a Celtic Forever?  Being an All-Star starter on a Championship team?  Rondo's #9 should be retired then.  Where's the line?


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 Russell offered KG one of HIS rings if while in Boston he did not win one himself. 

 Endorsement enuff for me.

Easy Ed and Reggie are the only Celtics to have their numbers retired having played six seasons or less with the C's. Neither won a championship. Looking back, a case can be made for KG based on precedent. It's just not quite enough for me. The only way his number gets retired with my blessing, ( I know, who cares lol) is if he enters the HOF as a Celtic. It's KG's ultimate choice how he wants to me remembered. I'd honor that so I voted other.

Hi,
I said YES.

AK

Garnett's impact was far greater than many players, in fact some could argue, greater than some of the guys who have numbers retired.

The number of years issue that he spent in Boston could be a concern for some, but I think that his impact still outweighs the lack of years.

Allen and Rondo will never get to the rafters even though they were significant contributors to the 2008 championship team.

I voted yes.  Even though he only played at Boston for 6 years his impact was profound.

Guys like Pierce and Allen and even Rajon Rondo were great players but KG was a transformative player.  He changed the entire team.

When Danny decided to trade him and PP he never complained.  He never bitched.  He understood what needed to happen.  He handled it with dignity and class and in many respects both him and Paul Pierce will be forever linked to the team we have today.

Due to "no RA, no KG", I voted NO.

KG would not waive his no trade clause at first and only changed his mind after Lord Voldemort was onboard. Pierce and the promise to be a member of the Celtics was not enough.

Let 'Sota retire his number.

gyso

I voted No.

His number should be retired by Minnesota only.

He will always be remembered as an important part of a championship team, that's enough.

If KG's number was to be retired, Ray Allen's would absolutely need to be also. Without both of them, no title. If the criteria for retiring #5, for KG, is a title, then it follows #20, for Allen, goes up there too.

Too many numbers already retired anyway. Time to slow it down.

I expect they were waiting for Pierce before putting up KGs number. Both haven't been issued since they were traded.

Unlike Rondo and Ray, KG was a transformative player, instrumental to the talent and culture where for 5 seasons we were competitive, bringing in a championship. He was loyal to a fault in Minnesota and here. At 31, he had just a limited opportunity in Boston but tried to make the most of it. While he was a key to success while on the team, him and Pierce were key to the rebuild afterward. Allowing that deal with Brooklyn was so important to the success that's just starting.

No KG, no 2008 banner. No KG, no Tatum, Irving, or Brown.

gyso wrote:Due to "no RA, no KG", I voted NO.

KG would not waive his no trade clause at first and only changed his mind after Lord Voldemort was onboard.  Pierce and the promise to be a member of the Celtics was not enough.

Let 'Sota retire his number.

gyso

gyso,

I'm not 100% sure of this but I do not believe KG had a no-trade clause when he was at Minny, he had that with the Celtics. What control he did have in the Minny-to-Boston trade was whether he'd sign an extension with us if he was traded here and Danny/Wyc didn't want to pull the trigger unless he agreed to one. As I remember it, he wasn't willing to do that until after Danny added Ray Allen in the 2007 draft day trade with Seattle that brought him here (along with Seattle's #35 pick, which turned out to be Big Baby) and sent Delonte West, Wally and the #5 pick there.

And, as an aside, why hasn't that trade by Danny been touted as a major steal too? HOFer Ray Allen + Glen Davis for Wacko Delonte West, no-defense Wally World Sczcerbiak and underachieving journeyman Jeff Green? I like Delonte but he's a bench player on a good team, Wally played 3 more years after that and went into steep decline almost immediately and Jeff Green went up and down more often, and as dramatically, as an elevator. Not even taking into account that this trade is what made KG believe that winning a championship with a team that had Paul Pierce but had only won 24 games in the season that just ended was possible, this was another helluva heist by Danny.


bob



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No.

Only Minnesota should retire his number.


KJ

Love KG. Have a big picture of him on the wall. He totally changed the culture in Boston.

I voted No. Not enough time here.

I voted yes

This has been an interesting poll. Very close for or against.

Down the road a bit the Celtics will probably consider retiring KG's number and Ray Allen's number. They have very similar accomplishments. Both were great players before they arrived. Both were key players in the 2008 championship. The difference perhaps is that one stayed until he was traded and the other one left on his own accord for less money and to join an arch rival. I have never heard anyone including Allen give an acceptable explanation on why he left.

My thinking is that Allen has a lower probability of having his number retired than does KG.

Ray Allen will never get the honor of having his number retired. That doesn't mean #20 won't someday hang in the rafters, but it will be Gordon Hayward's number that gets retired not Ray Allen's.

mulcogiseng wrote:Ray Allen will never get the honor of having his number retired. That doesn't mean #20 won't someday hang in the rafters, but it will be Gordon Hayward's number that gets retired not Ray Allen's.

+1