Paul Pierce is one of the last professional athletes who has what has been missing in professional sports for far too long: Loyalty. We live in an age where athletes spend their careers chasing either money, a title, or both. Paul Pierce is a rare beast. Up until now, he spent his entire 15 year career with one team. Our team. A team that was not always a winning team - or anywhere close. It wasn't until the acquisition of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen breathed new life into a floundering team, that Pierce saw even a teensy shot at winning a title. After finally getting that title in 2008, and the team's momentum started to fade again, he probably could have left (like Ray Allen last year) to pursue another title with a team he thought had the ability to get him one. But he didn't. He started his career with the Celtics and has always said that he wanted to retire with the Celtics. He truly bleeds green, through and through.
But, unfortunately, the world of professional sports is not just about entertainment. It is also about business. And it is not just the players who lack loyalty. In an effort to rebuild an old team, the Celtics have traded him away (along with Garnett, who also said he wanted to retire with the Celtics), denying him the opportunity to finish in the uniform he started in. Let's face it, folks. Pierce has already had 15 years in the league. He's 35 years old, and nearing the end. Kevin Garnett has 2 years on him. The desire and necessity of building or rebuilding a team is undeniable and understandable. But why couldn't Danny Ainge just let them live out their glory days with the team that they love?
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Pierce has been the true heart and soul of Boston basketball for so long, and he and Garnett as a pair have an energy that is incredibly palpable. What a testament to who these two men are that they will play together or not at all. That is the true definition of the word "teammates". A word that has all but completely lost it's meaning in an age in which players are hardly ever around long enough for their roots to hit the soil, let alone get entwined with those of others to create a stronger, more vibrant life. Ray Allen had the opportunity to be a part of this saga, but he broke our hearts by proving his loyalty lies with a trophy and not with a team.
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There is one thing that we have learned here in Boston regarding our sports teams, especially in the last 10 years or so: Trust our coaches. We have complained and been brokenhearted so many times, only to have our faith restored by the wisdom of people who simply know the game better than we do. We have had bottom of the barrel teams make amazingly fast recoveries, taking only one season to go from zero to championship. We are kept on our toes and often rewarded for our patience and tolerance. One would hope that this more-than-bold move will end up being a worth while one. But, even if it ends well in the long run, it is a true tragedy that it will come at such a personal expense to two of our most beloved players.
Younger and newer is the name of the game, and our veterans suffer the consequences. This is not always such a loss, personally or publicly, as older players have not necessarily been so closely attached to their teams. But this time, here in Boston, if you are or have been a basketball fan at any point in the past 15 years, a piece of our collective soul is dying. There will be a void in all of our hearts - a hole that in 'days of yore" held Bird, McHale and Parish - that will not soon be filled. And we have every right as fans to feel sad and perhaps a little jilted. But we should also feel sympathy and compassion towards the men that are truly being passed over, the hearts that are really broken. Paul's and Kevin's.
Their skills, heart, and energy will be sorely missed here in Boston. Congratulations to the Nets for such a worthwhile acquisition and I can only hope that their fans appreciate them as much as we have (though I have a feeling that there is no possible way that they ever could.)
Good luck, gentlemen. And Boston, remember this: The Truth will always set us free.
