The February trade window sent shockwaves to everyone who follows the NBA. The Luka Doncic and Anthony Davis topic is still fresh in its third month. But this is nothing new. Trades bring cheers, trade leaves scars, and the NBA has been dealing with this since its existence. “It reminded me of Showtime in a lot of ways with those three players.” That’s how Pat Riley once described the electrifying Miami Heat trio that shook the NBA once. But with all that excitement came backlash, sparked mainly by The Decision, a nationally televised special where LeBron James announced he was taking his talents to South Beach. Ever since, critics have labeled him as the guy who formed a super team of sorts to win championships. But now, a former Boston Celtics star has demanded the credit for starting the trend, while clearly dodging the blame for willingly forming a super team.
Enter Paul Pierce. The heart of the Boston Celtics’ Big 3, including Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. This wasn’t just a group of all-stars; they were a powerhouse that marched to two NBA Finals and took home a ring by knocking off Kobe Bryant’s Lakers in 2008. What’s the key here? The Celtics did it before Miami’s Big 3 ever took shape in 2010, and way before Kevin Durant packed his bags for Golden State in 2016. So when Pierce appeared on Speak, he didn’t hold back. He was asked what he thought when LeBron and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade in Miami. And he kept it real.
“At this point, we’re old… We’re losing all our pieces… I’m like, this is ridiculous… Theirs was like, next level, Big Three. Cause they were a younger version of us…” And he wasn’t just reflecting—he was making a point. The Celtics’ trio, he believes, paved the way for every superteam that followed. “When I started looking back at it, I was like, you know, we [Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen] inspired all this stuff for that era, from 2008 all the way to when the Warriors picked up KD and they formed a big three.”
Mar 13, 2022; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Basketball Hall of Fame and former Boston Celtic, Kevin Garnett embraces former Boston Celtics players, Ray Allan and Paul Pierce during the number retirement ceremony after the game between the Boston Celtics the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Bold claim? Maybe. But he’s not exactly wrong. Still, Pierce drew a line between what the Celtics did and what came after. And in his eyes, that line matters. “None of us was free agents… We come from the old school… We just trying to win wherever we get drafted at or wherever we get traded… I gotta play with the pieces of puzzles that’s put in front of me.”
Pierce is clearly proud of how organically Boston’s Big 3 came together. Surprisingly, this comes after LeBron James’ agent, Rich Paul, recently claimed that there never existed a Big 3 in the Miami Heat. Only if he had gone through his King James’ previous interviews:
LeBron James once admitted pairing up with Wade and Bosh to beat the Celtics’ Big 3
Back in 2010, the basketball world witnessed a seismic shift when LeBron James and Chris Bosh decided to take their talents to Miami, when neither of them could manage to crack the Eastern Conference code. Largely because of one roadblock—the Boston Celtics superteam that had been dominating since 2007. With Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen leading the charge, the Celtics had become a playoff nightmare, setting a new standard for star-studded rosters. LeBron and Bosh joining Dwyane Wade wasn’t just a team-up—it was a calculated counterattack to finally break through the Celtics’ stronghold.
And yes, it wasn’t just speculation—LeBron himself made it crystal clear after a game. “Great team. I have the utmost respect for that team. They’re the reason all three of us came together, what they did, that blueprint that they had,” he said, as per an article by Fadeaway World. Wade echoed the same years later in a candid conversation with Kevin Garnett. “We can’t do it alone, who else can do it with us? Bosh. Chris was 100 percent in… Y’all were the sole reason we got together. We can’t compete with Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rondo.” Well, there it is. The credit that Paul Pierce is seeking has already been given by the Miami Heat’s Big 3 stars already.
In the grand chessboard of the NBA, the Celtics made the first bold move, and the league had no choice but to respond. LeBron, Wade, and Bosh didn’t just form a superteam for headlines; they did it to survive the storm Boston created. The echoes of that Celtics era are still felt today, not just in banners or box scores, but in the way stars strategize their futures. So if Paul Pierce is still waiting for his flowers, he should know—they’ve already bloomed in the legacy that forced greatness to level up. But you is your pick from this generation? Let us know!
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