Legendary Moments in NBA History

Legendary Moments In NBA History: Kevin Garnett traded to Boston Celtics in 2007

When the final regular-season game was played in the 2006-07 season, few would have picked the 24-58 Boston Celtics to win the NBA title the following season. Yet that is exactly what happened, thanks to some blockbuster moves in the summer of 2007 that netted the Celtics a former MVP winner in Kevin Garnett.

On July 31, 2007, the Minnesota Timberwolves traded 2004 NBA MVP Kevin Garnett to the Celtics for five players and two future draft picks. Three days earlier, the Celtics acquired All-Star guard Ray Allen in a trade with the Seattle Supersonics, giving Boston a new superstar trio of Allen, Garnett and Boston’s incumbent All-Star, Paul Pierce.

Behind that trio, the 2007-08 Celtics went an NBA-best 66-16 and reached their first Finals since 1987. En route to that championship stage berth, the Celtics survived a pair of Game 7s (in the first round and Eastern Conference semifinals) and knocked out the Detroit Pistons — the reigning top dogs in the East — in six games.

Garnett was the heart and soul of that team and its defensive anchor, winning Defensive Player of the Year honors in the 2007-08 season. The Celtics vanquished the rival Los Angeles Lakers in six games in The Finals. Shortly after the game ended, Garnett delivered one of the delivered one of the most famous sports quotes ever, bellowing “anything is possible!” to a national TV audience as he basked in his first (and only) NBA championship.

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