With his number having just been retired by the Celtics, Paul Pierce said he anticipates being joined by one of his key teammates on their 2008 championship teams.
“Without a doubt, (Kevin Garnett’s) number will be retired in Boston,” said Pierce, as reported by ESPN. “It’s going to happen.”
Garnett is undoubtedly one of the greatest players to ever suit up in the NBA, a 15-time All-Star and one of 32 MVP award winners.
But he also spent only six of his 17 seasons in Boston, leaving some to question whether he should be honored alongside the likes of Pierce, Bill Russell and Larry Bird.
According to Celtics president Danny Ainge, those six seasons were so good — Garnett made the All-Star team in five of them, with six playoff appearances and the team’s first title in more than 20 years — that the team has already held informal discussions.
Ultimately, Ainge said, the decision to hang Garnett’s No. 5 in the rafters at TD Garden will be made by ownership.
“It was six years of potential championship-caliber teams and All-Star play from KG,” said Ainge. “I think that it was a pretty significant impact he had in those six years.”
* * *
