The Celtics’ Formation of the Big Three Eighteen Years Ago Changed NBA History and Sparked a New Era of Superteam Dominance
Eighteen years ago today, the Boston Celtics pulled off one of the most significant trades in NBA history. On July 31, 2007, the franchise acquired Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves, officially forming a new “Big Three” alongside Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. That moment didn’t just change the fortunes of a storied franchise—it changed the course of modern NBA basketball. It redefined team-building, reintroduced Boston to championship contention, and sparked a seismic cultural shift that the league is still feeling nearly two decades later.
To understand the impact of the Garnett trade, one must consider where the Celtics stood before it happened. The 2006–07 season had been one of the worst in franchise history. Boston won just 24 games, endured long losing streaks, and appeared rudderless despite the efforts of Pierce, the longtime franchise cornerstone. The hope of landing a top pick in the draft lottery—perhaps even Kevin Durant or Greg Oden—was dashed when the Celtics fell to the fifth pick. That pick became Jeff Green, but the Celtics had no intention of standing pat. General manager Danny Ainge was ready to gamble big.
The first move came on draft night, when Ainge traded that No. 5 pick, along with Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West, to the Seattle SuperSonics in exchange for Ray Allen and a second-round pick. That was a bold stroke, but it wasn’t quite enough to vault Boston back into relevance. What followed, however, would complete the masterpiece.
Just over a month later, the Celtics pulled off the blockbuster: a trade that sent Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair, and Theo Ratliff to Minnesota for Kevin Garnett. At the time, it was the largest number of players traded for a single player in NBA history. It was the kind of all-in move that franchises typically avoid unless they are absolutely certain of the outcome. For Ainge and the Celtics, it was a bet on greatness—and it paid off in full.
Kevin Garnett was already a league MVP, a 10-time All-Star, and one of the most ferocious competitors the game had ever seen. But in Minnesota, his brilliance had been mostly wasted on lottery-bound teams and underwhelming playoff runs. In Boston, he found a franchise with a championship pedigree, a city that embraced toughness and intensity, and teammates who matched his hunger. Garnett brought not just talent, but a new identity to the Celtics. He was the heart, soul, and voice of a team that would go on to redefine Eastern Conference basketball for the next several years.
Alongside him were Paul Pierce—the homegrown star who had endured the lows and was ready for the spotlight—and Ray Allen, the sharpshooting veteran who could stretch the floor and lead with professionalism. Together, they formed a trio that instantly captured national attention and brought credibility back to the Celtics’ name. More than that, they embraced the concept of sacrifice. Each of them had been “the man” on their previous teams. Now, they would share the burden—and the glory.
From day one, the chemistry was real. Under first-year head coach Doc Rivers, the team bought into a defense-first system built around Garnett’s versatility and intensity. With Garnett anchoring the back line, the Celtics became the league’s top-ranked defensive unit. Rajon Rondo emerged as the ideal point guard to orchestrate the offense, and role players like Kendrick Perkins, James Posey, Eddie House, and Leon Powe filled their roles to perfection.
The results were immediate and emphatic. The Celtics finished the 2007–08 season with a league-best 66–16 record—a 42-win improvement from the previous year, which remains the largest single-season turnaround in NBA history. They were dominant at home, unrelenting on defense, and cohesive in ways that teams typically take years to develop.
In the playoffs, the Celtics faced trials. They were pushed to seven games by both the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first two rounds. The Game 7 duel between Paul Pierce and LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Semifinals remains one of the great one-on-one battles in playoff history. But Boston prevailed, and after eliminating the Detroit Pistons in six games in the Conference Finals, they advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987.
There, they met their historic rivals—the Los Angeles Lakers. It was the kind of matchup that sent chills through the league. Celtics vs. Lakers. Garnett vs. Kobe. Tradition vs. tradition. And in six games, Boston overwhelmed Los Angeles, clinching the championship with a 131–92 blowout win at the TD Garden in Game 6. The sight of Garnett falling to his knees and screaming, “Anything is possible!” during the postgame interview became an indelible image in NBA lore.
That championship did more than validate the Big Three experiment. It reestablished the Celtics as a premier franchise. It gave Paul Pierce the ring he had long chased. It elevated Garnett’s legacy and justified Allen’s sacrifice. And it showed the NBA that building through superstar collaboration could work—if it was rooted in defense, sacrifice, and chemistry.
The aftershocks were felt quickly. The Lakers reloaded and eventually got their revenge in the 2010 NBA Finals. But more notably, the rest of the league began chasing the blueprint Boston had just created. The idea of teaming up stars—previously seen as risky or even taboo—became the new norm. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh would form their own Big Three in Miami just a few years later. Then came Golden State with Kevin Durant. Brooklyn followed suit with Kyrie, KD, and Harden. But Boston did it first in the modern era. They didn’t just form a superteam—they legitimized the model.
The Celtics remained contenders for several years after 2008, making another Finals appearance in 2010 and reaching the Eastern Conference Finals in 2012. But injuries, age, and internal changes eventually caught up with them. Ray Allen left for Miami in a controversial move. Garnett and Pierce were traded to Brooklyn in 2013—a deal that gave Boston the draft capital to rebuild again and, eventually, land players like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Still, that 2007–08 team remains iconic. It wasn’t just the talent. It was the attitude. The intensity. The defense. The brotherhood. Garnett’s snarls. Pierce’s shot-making. Allen’s smooth jumper. Rondo’s passes. The team’s rallying cry, “Ubuntu”—a South African philosophy meaning “I am because we are”—captured the essence of their identity.
In hindsight, the Garnett trade was the linchpin. It was the moment when ambition met opportunity. Danny Ainge’s willingness to go all-in, Garnett’s decision to waive his no-trade clause, and the unselfishness of three future Hall of Famers to share the stage—those elements combined to deliver a title and a cultural shift. Garnett wasn’t just a trade acquisition—he was the spiritual leader. Without him, the team doesn’t take on the same character. Without his defense, they’re not the same juggernaut. Without his fire, they don’t burn quite as hot.
Eighteen years later, the legacy of that Big Three still looms large. The Celtics’ 17th banner hangs in the rafters because of that trade. The echoes of their championship run remain in the fabric of the franchise. And the blueprint they created continues to influence how teams build, how stars think, and how titles are chased in the modern NBA.
The formation of the Big Three wasn’t just a roster move—it was a moment of transformation. It changed careers, defined an era, and reminded the basketball world what happens when talent, teamwork, and timing align perfectly.
Looking back, it wasn’t just the day the Celtics traded for Kevin Garnett. It was the day everything changed.
