The 2008 Celtics Reunion On KG’s Area 21 Was Everything You Hoped It Would Be
Kevin Garnett got the gang back together for the final 2016-17 episode of his Area 21 segment during TNT’s NBA broadcasts. Five members (and later a sixth) of the 2008 championship squad came to join the Big Ticket and reminisce on the good old days.
The guest list basically included the starting five, although that guy who played shooting guard was replaced with Big Baby Davis. Here’s all the footage from the night:
The Introduction
KG welcomes @KendrickPerkins, @iambigbaby11, @RajonRondo & @paulpierce34 to #KGArea21! pic.twitter.com/gz8eLX4JjB
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
Pierce Talks About His Last Season And Everyone Shares Their Favorite Pierce Memories
.@paulpierce34 discusses his final season in the @NBA with @KendrickPerkins, @iambigbaby11, @RajonRondo & KG. #KGArea21 pic.twitter.com/ldHWS9GLsQ
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
Doc Rivers Crashes The Party
Doc Rivers surprises Kevin Garnett, @KendrickPerkins, @iambigbaby11, @RajonRondo & @paulpierce34 in #KGArea21! pic.twitter.com/nOsdMHOqBH
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
Doc, KG, Pierce, Rondo, Perk, and Baby share stories from their trip to Rome and Doc talks about Baby eating too much
Doc Rivers, KG, Perk, Big Baby, Rondo & Paul Pierce share memories from their first training camp together in Rome. #KGArea21 pic.twitter.com/gVt9ne6aCJ
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
The famous KG vs. Big Baby arm wrestling story, plus KG asking Doc who the craziest guy on the team was
"All of y’all were crazy… Everybody was tough. Everybody was competitive." -Doc Rivers on craziest player he ever coached & 2008 @celtics. pic.twitter.com/1Fm9fU4sRi
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
Doc Talks About His Approach To The 07-08 Season
Doc Rivers discusses his coaching style & the 2008 Celtics on #KGArea21… pic.twitter.com/QP5DTG9efx
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
Doc Gets Paul A Wheelchair As A Retirement Gift
Doc Rivers got a retirement gift for @paulpierce34… ???? #KGArea21 pic.twitter.com/SkRf2AmmjQ
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
The moment everyone was waiting for: Pierce & KG explaining why they still haven’t spoken to Ray Allen since he left (not that it needs an explanation). Perk provides some good insight.
“It was more than basketball for us… It felt like a sour breakup.”
Pierce, KG, Rondo, Big Baby & Perk share their thoughts on Ray Allen. pic.twitter.com/8JYRWmxm0i
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
They talk about the breakup of the 2008 team beginning with the infamous Perkins trade, which Perk discusses in depth
"I didn't feel like they gave us a fair chance to bring everyone back."
Pierce, KG, Rondo, Big Baby & Perk talk about the Celtics breakup. pic.twitter.com/ZuYVX8LOxm
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
They talk about their experiences going to new teams after getting used to the winning environment in Boston
"It was one of the biggest basketball culture shocks I've ever had."
Pierce, KG, Rondo, Big Baby & Perk reflect on leaving the Celtics. pic.twitter.com/A0L9odUU3q
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
They check in with the rest of the TNT crew and field some hard-hitting questions
Big Baby, Perk, Pierce, Rondo & KG caught up with the #InsidetheNBA crew to talk #NBAPlayoffs & more! @MyStraightTalk pic.twitter.com/2s56d7beqZ
— KG's Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
All in all, an excellent segment. Great to see all these guys back together again. The biggest surprise to me was how much Perk had to say considering how quiet he usually is in front of the cameras. I definitely agreed with his stance on the Ray Allen situation, suggesting that Ray should be the one to reach out and try to repair the friendship.
We barely heard anything from Rondo, but he’s never been really vocal on TV. The Doc appearance was a nice surprise.
Shout out to KG for getting some of the boys back in one place. As a Celtics fan, this was a joy to watch.
Follow Jack Bardsley on Twitter @BostonsBigFour