Winning heals everything, but only for so long. The Boston Celtics won the 2008 NBA Finals and brought back their entire starting lineup for the next season.
Defending a championship is hard enough, and the Celtics lost Kevin Garnett for the season due to injury in February, making things even more difficult down the stretch in 2009.
While winning a championship typically brings teams closer together, managing egos and personalities is a challenge, especially in the face of adversity such as losing a star player.
Paul Pierce appeared on the Games With Names Podcast hosted by Julian Edelman and shared a story about the team.
“We had a team meeting,” Pierce said. “There was like a disconnect between the older guys and the younger guys on the team, and then I remember Kendrick Perkins said something. All I know, we all was on the plane and all the coaches was on the bus because we were clearing the air. Perk said something that turned on another switch of evil to [Kevin Garnett]. … I thought Kevin was going to kill Perk. Like for real, kill him. I saw it in his eyes; it was just the most intense moment.”
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Pierce didn’t elaborate on what specifically Perkins said, but said it was something that shouldn’t have been said. He said the meeting was called for off-court reasons that he “can’t get into.”
Even without Garnett, the Celtics finished first in the Eastern Conference. They ultimately lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals in seven games to the Orlando Magic.
The full podcast episode includes stories about Game Seven of the 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Pierce’s teammates and more.
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