You know what they say about “what ifs”? Yeah, hindsight fries brain cells for breakfast. And the NBA’s packed with enough of them to write a Shakespearean tragedy. But none sting quite like the ones tied to the Lakers-Celtics rivalry—especially those epic 12 Finals meetings. Zoom in on 2008, and you’ve got drama, grit, and enough chaos to binge on for years.
But the real fuel for those “what if” debates? It’s the trio of legends at the center: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Kobe Bryant. Their showdown gave us magic—but also left behind a trail of what-could ’ve-beens.
Beantown was on top of the world that season. An easy 4-2 sweep of the LakeShow meant the Celts winning their 17th ring, with Pierce winning the Finals MVP honors, and Garnett himself being the deserved Defensive Player of the Year. But then came the torrid 2009 season – full of loopholes, more stories, and according to Pierce, an element of luck. That luck? Garnett’s injury.
Garnett messed up his right knee late in a game against Utah—strained popliteus tendon. He sat out the next 13 games, came back for a bit, and then boom—shut down again. He had arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs on May 26, 2009. Out for 6–8 weeks. But more importantly? Out for the entire postseason. Boston still balled out, going 62–20. But without KG, they couldn’t hold it down in the playoffs. They fell to Orlando in the Eastern semis.
No rim protection, no fire, no KG. Could they have won it all if he was healthy? Not even a question.
Apr 27, 2010; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett (5) and guard Ray Allen (20) high five teammates forward Paul Pierce (34) and guard Rajon Rondo (9) during the first half of game five of the first round of the 2010 NBA playoffs against the Miami Heat at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
“Yeah, without a doubt. Because you understand KG, I think he missed about 30 games. You know, in all, man, you know we won 61 games? I think we would have won 70 games that year. If he wouldn’t have got hurt, for sure if wouldn’t have got hurt. Think about it. We didn’t have KG for 30 games and we still won 61 games. We knew we couldn’t win it without him,” said Paul Pierce on Podcast P with Paul George.
Was that just a one time thing? Injuries keep happening. You can’t blame the shortcomings of a year to one important unit being out considerably. Turns out, you actually can. Why? Well, it happens more than you think.
Celtics-Lakers is a little like Thunder-Pacers when it comes to “luck”, says Paul Pierce
Luck went both ways for Indiana this year. Sure, they did steamroll their way to the Finals. But if you take this from Pierce: “Like Indiana, think about it. Like the shot bounces up, that’s part of the journey. That’s part of the luck. You know what I’m saying,” and put it into perspective, it’ll all start to make sense. But that’s not to say that OKC didn’t have their fair share of luck either. In fact, OKC’s luck might’ve been what brought the championship home for the first time. What was the luck? Tyrese Haliburton’s injury.
“We got the ball bounced our way, we got lucky, we came back one. So that was part of our luck. We got lucky in the second round versus LeBron, game seven. He went for 46, he was a monster in his fourth year. Along the way, everybody has luck… You know what I’m saying? OKC, I’m thinking like, s–t, if Haliburton don’t get hurt, they got a shot. He was going for it. He was going for the 40 ball, he was going for it,” said Pierce on the pod.
May 28, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) celebrates with Magic Johnson West Conference Finals MVP trophy after defeating the Minnesota Timberwolves in game five to win the western conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Say what you want – no one’s taking Kobe Bryant‘s 2009 championship away from him and the Lakers. But do you agree with Paul Pierce? Would a fit Kevin Garnett have be the differential? If so, the parallels between this Pacers-Thunder Finals is literally Exhibit A.
The post Paul Pierce Admits Championship Moment That Could Have Changed Kobe Bryant’s Legacy Forever appeared first on EssentiallySports.