5 Moments that Defined No. 5’s Legacy in Boston

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Throughout his six years in Boston, Kevin Garnett produced a lifetime of memories for Celtics fans – from his powerful debut performance to his emotional championship run to his endless displays of toughness deep into his 30s.

As the Celtics get ready to bestow KG with the ultimate honor of retiring his jersey number on March 13, it’s time to take a trip down memory lane to relive some of his most iconic moments, which helped to establish his place among Celtics Legends.

Here are 5 moments that helped to define No. 5’s legacy:

For as much hype as there was leading up to Kevin Garnett’s Celtics debut after being acquired during the summer of 2007, no one could have imagined what he had in store for the Nov. 2 season-opener.

There was a palpable buzz surrounding KG as soon as he stepped foot on the parquet floor at TD Garden, which he manifested into a 22-point, 20-rebound, five-assist, three-steal, three-block effort, becoming just the fifth player in franchise history to turn in a 20-20 performance – and he did so during his very first game.

Garnett’s first impression set the tone not only for himself, but for the entire organization. He arrived on Day 1 with an otherworldly level of energy, which he never dialed back for the rest of his time inside the Celtics locker room, where he singlehandedly changed the culture for years to come.

From the opening tip-off to the final buzzer, Garnett was all about business. There was hardly any distraction that could break him out of his constant state of seriousness, with one exception: “Gino Time.”

Beginning in the mid-1990s, the Celtics’ Game Operations staff would celebrate an impending blowout win by playing a 1970s American Bandstand clip which displayed a large group discoing to the Bee Gees’ hit song, “We Should Be Dancing.” In the center, was a grooving, bearded fellow decked out in bellbottom pants and a Gino Vannelli T-shirt.

There weren’t many blowouts to celebrate for roughly a decade until Garnett and Ray Allen arrived at Paul Pierce’s side. However, during the Big 3’s first season together, the Celtics posted an averaged margin of victory of 15.9 points per game at TD Garden, which meant plenty of Gino Time.

Garnett turned out to be Gino’s biggest fan.

Every time the familiar beat would start up in the fourth quarter of a lopsided game, a massive smile would spread across KG’s face as he glanced skyward toward the jumbotron. Sometimes he’d even bust out a dance move or two by the bench, showing a side of him that rarely surfaced on a basketball court.

Gino Time for Garnett was what a victory cigar was to Red Auerbach, and he basked in its glory on countless occasions throughout his six seasons in Boston. His playful side came out every time the tune came on, and fans at TD Garden would always vibe along with him.

Most of Boston’s Gino-Time blowout wins were a result of dominant defense. The anchor of that defensive unit was Garnett.

In his first season with the Celtics, KG averaged 9.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game, which helped Boston leap from 18th in defensive rating (105.8) the season prior to his arrival all the way up to first with a mark of 98.1.

On April 22, 2008, Garnett added to his already illustrious trophy case by becoming the first player in franchise history to be named Defensive Player of the Year.

Being the selfless leader that he was, Garnett waived off the individual praise that came with the recognition, deflecting it toward his teammates instead.

‘‘Dealing with so much history already with this organization, obviously it’s a big achievement,’’ Garnett said that afternoon. ‘‘Obviously, it’s an individual award. But I won’t take this credit. It’s for the team.”

As honored as Garnett felt in being named DPOY for the 2007-08 season, he was still not close to feeling completely satisfied just yet.

“I’m thinking about that one goal, and that’s that championship,” he said April 22, 2008, ahead of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals.

Less than two months after making that statement, Garnett’s dream came true. KG had a tremendous playoff run leading up to the NBA Finals, and he saved his greatest act for last.

In a championship-clinching Game 6 effort against the Los Angeles Lakers, Garnett led a 39-point blowout victory with game highs of 26 points and 14 rebounds, to go along with four assists, three steals, and one block during 36 minutes of turnover-free action. His effort helped to end a 22-year championship drought in Boston, while also helping the 66-win squad pull off the biggest single-season turnaround in league history after winning just 25 games the season before.

When the final buzzer sounded to mark the completion of his goal, Garnett stood at center court and let the green and white confetti rain down upon his face before tilting his head toward the rafters and screaming, “Anything is possible!”

That renowned exclamation was the pinnacle of Garnett’s Hall-of-Fame career, as well as the defining moment of the 2008 championship team.

Garnett’s legs had logged quite a bit of mileage by the time the 2011-12 season rolled around, and many believed that the 35-year-old didn’t have much left in the tank. However, despite pushing through nagging knee injuries, KG kept himself afloat with the one trait that he prided himself on throughout his career: toughness.

Such toughness was displayed to the whole world during the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals, when Boston’s aging Big 3 took Miami’s younger, favorited Big 3 of Chris Bosh, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade all the way to seven games.

Things weren’t looking good for the Celtics after they went down 2-0 in the series, but Garnett willed them back to take a 3-2 lead. He put forth two dominant performances during Games 3 and 5, which were highlighted by a couple of heroic displays of toughness.

Partway through the second quarter of Game 3, with the Celtics leading by four points, Garnett was fouled forcefully under the basket by Udonis Haslem. After hitting the ground with enough impact to be heard over the television broadcast, Garnett laid on his back for a few seconds while Celtics fans collectively held their breath.

Then, to everyone’s surprise, Garnett rolled over onto his chest and banged out eight knuckle push-ups on the parquet floor before rising to his feet. The crowd roared with delight and stayed loud for the remainder of the night, as KG turned in a 24-point, 11-rebound performance amid a 101-91 Celtics win.

Those knuckle pushups were a metaphor for Garnett’s entire series, as he turned around after having his back against the wall and continued to press down against a challenging opponent.

In Game 4, KG churned out a 17-point, 14-rebound effort in a 93-91 win. In Game 5, he put forth his best effort of the series, logging 26 points and 11 boards in 94-90 road win, before Miami went on to win Games 6 and 7.

After the Game 5 win, KG told ESPN sideline reporter Doris Burke what had fueled him through that point in the series.

“The competition. The nay-sayers. Those who talk too much. The people who don’t think a 35, 36-year-old can do what I do,” he said. “I take a lot of pride in my craft. I work really hard on my craft every day. I’m a true professional.”

Garnett maintained such professionalism and toughness throughout his career in Boston, which played a large role in helping him carve out a path toward becoming a Celtics Legend.