The trade has been finalized and both teams are ready to move on. The Boston Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets completed one of the more marquee trades of the offseason, sending future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn in exchange for first round draft picks and a few bench players. Now that the dust has settled, the Celtics are taking one last chance to thank the two players for their services.
The team took out a full-page ad in the Boston Globe to thank Pierce and Garnett for their years of loyalty to the Celtics. The ad shows photos of Pierce holding his Finals MVP Trophy and Garnett hoisting up the Larry O'Brien trophy after the two helped lead the Celtics to an NBA championship in the 2007-08 season. The message reads, "Thank you for your heart, for your passion, for your sacrifice, for playing through the pain, for bleeding green, for honoring tradition, for an amazing ride, for restoring Celtic pride for Banner 17." The Celtics also shared the message via Twitter.
Pierce spent the first 15 years of his career with the Boston Celtics after the team drafted him 10th overall in 1998 out of Kansas. He is the franchises second all-time leading scorer. At 35, many view the Brooklyn Nets as the final stop for Pierce in his basketball career. However, according to the All-Star, he is far from calling it quits and walking up into the rafters.
"Who says it's the end of my career? I plan on playing 10 more years, dude," Pierce told a TMZ reporter.
Garnett came to the Celtics via a trade prior to the 2007-08 season. He along with Pierce and Ray Allen formed the first Big 3 in the NBA. They teamed up to win the Celtics their first championship in 22 years. Garnett is also reportedly reaching the end of his career. He recently joked with media about attending his last All-Star game and was mulling retirement after the season ended.
Pierce, Garnett and Jason Terry will now help the Brooklyn Nets attempt to win a championship for the franchise. Pierce and Garnett will join Deron Williams, Brook Lopez and Joe Johnson as the potential starting lineup for Brooklyn. With the two savvy veterans alongside new head coach Jason Terry, the Nets have a chance to do something special just like Boston did.