(already subscribe? log in).

Big Three stuck together en route to NBA title

THIS STORY APPEARED IN

August 27, 2011|By Marc J. Spears

Kevin Garnett, left, Ray Allen, center, and Paul Pierce celebrate in the… (AP )

Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen sat side by side during a press conference at TD Banknorth Garden to announce their arrival in Boston July 31. The Big Three stood side by side in uniform in front of the Roman Colosseum at the beginning of training camp in October while cameras flashed and surprised tourists looked on. All three were Eastern Conference All-Stars, marking the first time since Larry Bird, Robert Parish, and Kevin McHale in 1991 that a Celtics trio had done it. And as the clock ticked down during Game 6 of the NBA Finals with the Celtics claiming their first title in 22 years Tuesday night, Garnett, Pierce, and Allen were where they had been all along: side by side.

Individually before this season, Garnett, Pierce, and Allen all had Hall of Fame credentials without rings to show for it. But together in their first season, the Celtics’ All-Star trio can now boast they are NBA champions, too.

”That moment right there solidified the reason why we sat on that podium and talked, from the moment we were in the back talking to the moment we stepped foot in Rome,” said Garnett.

Said Allen: “We just ignored the Big Three talk, and if people are going to place the stigma on the team after we won, everyone is going to be fine with it because we did win.”

Said Pierce: “We put in hard work all the way from September, getting here early, going to Rome, staying together, the guys dropping their egos for the good of the team, sacrificing so much. You guys look at Kevin, myself, and Ray, we sacrificed so much of what we did throughout our careers to get to this point because we’ve done everything we’ve been able to do individually, won all type of awards, but never made it to the mountaintop, and it’s like a breath of fresh air.”

Other teams have been put together in recent years hoping for a quick fix to a championship that didn’t pan out.

Remember the 1998-99 season when Hakeem Olajuwon, Scottie Pippen, and Charles Barkley joined forces in Houston? There was inner turmoil between Pippen and Barkley during the strike-shortened season, and the Rockets were knocked out in the first round.

Remember the 2003-04 season when Karl Malone and Gary Payton sought their first rings by joining Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant with the Lakers? The Lakers had injury woes and much drama on and off the court before losing to the Pistons in the Finals.

The Mavericks lost in the first round this season after acquiring Jason Kidd. The Suns lost in the first round after acquiring O’Neal.