Eighteen Years Ago Today, the Celtics Formed Their Legendary Big Three by Acquiring Kevin Garnett and Changed NBA History Forever

On August 4, 2007, a seismic shift in the NBA landscape took place when the Boston Celtics pulled off one of the most transformative trades in league history. The Celtics acquired All-Star forward Kevin Garnett from the Minnesota Timberwolves, pairing him with franchise cornerstone Paul Pierce and newly acquired sharpshooter Ray Allen. That blockbuster deal not only reshaped the Celtics’ immediate future but also ignited a new era of championship contention and forever altered the concept of building a “superteam.”

The trade itself was massive, both in scope and in impact. To bring Garnett to Boston, the Celtics gave up a significant package that reflected the magnitude of the player they were getting in return. Heading to Minnesota were young big man Al Jefferson, forward Ryan Gomes, athletic swingman Gerald Green, point guard Sebastian Telfair, veteran center Theo Ratliff, and two 2009 first-round draft picks. One of those picks was top-three protected and originally belonged to Boston, while the other had come via a previous trade with the Timberwolves involving Ricky Davis and Wally Szczerbiak in 2006. It was the largest number of players traded for a single player in NBA history at the time. But for the Celtics, it was a gamble worth taking.

Kevin Garnett, the 2004 NBA MVP and a 10-time All-Star by that point, had spent 12 seasons with the Timberwolves, giving everything to a franchise that, despite his brilliance, had failed to surround him with a championship-caliber roster. The frustration of repeated first-round exits and a lack of playoff success wore heavily on Garnett, who was known for his fierce loyalty to the Minnesota organization. He was reluctant at first to accept the trade to Boston, but once convinced of the potential alongside Pierce and Allen, he embraced the opportunity wholeheartedly. The result was instant chemistry and a cultural transformation in Boston.

Ray Allen had already joined the Celtics earlier that offseason in a trade with the Seattle SuperSonics. With Allen’s perimeter shooting, Pierce’s all-around scoring ability, and Garnett’s elite defense and intensity, the newly formed trio brought complementary skills and superstar pedigree. All three players were seasoned veterans hungry for a title, each having shouldered the burden of carrying their respective teams for years with limited postseason success. But together, they found something that had eluded them individually: a winning formula rooted in sacrifice, unity, and a shared mission.

Under head coach Doc Rivers, the Celtics quickly became the league’s most dominant team. Garnett, Pierce, and Allen bought into Rivers’ “Ubuntu” philosophy — a South African term emphasizing unity and collective strength — and the rest of the roster followed suit. With Garnett anchoring the defense, the Celtics turned into a juggernaut on that end of the floor, allowing the fewest points per game in the NBA during the 2007–08 season. Meanwhile, Pierce and Allen provided offensive firepower, and young point guard Rajon Rondo emerged as the perfect floor general to complement the Big Three. The role players, including James Posey, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, and Eddie House, embraced their roles and contributed in key moments.

The Celtics finished the regular season with a 66–16 record, the best in the league and one of the largest turnarounds in NBA history, having won just 24 games the previous year. Boston’s 42-win improvement from the 2006–07 season remains among the most dramatic in league history. The team had gone from lottery-bound to title-favorite almost overnight, thanks to the brilliance and sacrifice of their newly assembled trio.

Their playoff run, while not without its challenges, reinforced their championship mettle. Boston survived a grueling seven-game series against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round and another tough seven-game battle against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second round. They then defeated the Detroit Pistons in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1987.

Awaiting them in the Finals were their historic rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant. The series reignited the storied Celtics-Lakers rivalry, one that had defined much of the NBA’s history in the 1980s. In a battle of titans, the Celtics ultimately prevailed in six games, capturing their 17th NBA championship. Game 6 was a blowout for the ages — a 131–92 thrashing of the Lakers at the TD Garden that left no doubt about which team reigned supreme. Kevin Garnett’s famous postgame interview, where he emotionally shouted “Anything is possible!” became an iconic moment in sports history.

Garnett’s defensive presence and leadership proved invaluable. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year that season, and his relentless energy, intensity, and commitment to winning infected the entire roster. Paul Pierce, who had endured years of losing and trade rumors, was named NBA Finals MVP. Ray Allen, meanwhile, hit critical shots throughout the playoffs and was instrumental in spacing the floor and keeping defenses honest. The trio was not just dominant but selfless — each star willing to take fewer shots, give up the spotlight, and do whatever it took to win.

The Celtics’ victory in 2008 validated the front office’s bold decision to trade for Garnett and reshape the franchise’s future. For President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge, it was the culmination of years of planning and risk-taking. The move to acquire Garnett, after first trading for Allen, instantly resurrected a proud franchise that had been wandering in mediocrity for over a decade. Ainge’s vision and execution not only restored the Celtics to prominence but also sparked a league-wide shift in how teams approached roster building.

Indeed, the formation of Boston’s Big Three marked a turning point in NBA team construction. While previous teams had certainly featured multiple stars, the deliberate assembly of elite talent through trades and the emphasis on veteran collaboration set the stage for what would later become a trend. Miami’s formation of its own Big Three with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in 2010 echoed the blueprint established by Boston just a few years earlier. The idea of superstar collaborations as a path to championships can be traced directly to what the Celtics did in 2007.

Though the Celtics were unable to repeat their 2008 success in subsequent years — reaching the Finals again in 2010 but losing to the Lakers in seven games — their legacy was already secured. Injuries and age gradually took their toll, and the Big Three era officially ended when Garnett and Pierce were traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013. Yet, the cultural and competitive impact of their time together left an indelible mark on the franchise and the league.

Eighteen years later, the acquisition of Kevin Garnett remains one of the most important trades in NBA history. It wasn’t just a basketball transaction; it was the ignition of a championship run, the creation of a brotherhood, and the beginning of a new era in team building. Garnett, Pierce, and Allen each sacrificed to make the team greater than the sum of its parts, and in doing so, they brought Banner 17 to Boston — a banner that symbolized not just victory, but redemption, resilience, and unity.

Looking back, it’s impossible to overstate the significance of that moment in 2007. The trade that brought Kevin Garnett to Boston did more than just change the Celtics’ fortunes — it changed the trajectory of NBA history. And for Celtics fans, August 4 will always be remembered as the day a dream team was born.