Pierce is a no-brainer as soon as he retires. Just a great Celtic for the vast majority of his career, and one of the best clutch players in franchise history. Quick side note, but I still remember back in 2005 or so during a broadcast when Bill Walton said Pierce was, at best, the third or fourth scorer for a championship team. Lay off the weed, Bill.
Garnett isn't as much of a no-brainer because he spent the majority of his career with other teams. However, he was arguably the key piece to the championship culture of the Celtics from 2007-13. He left everything on the floor and was the consummate team player. IMO, his number should be retired, but I understand the argument for why it wouldn't be because he only spent six years in Boston.
If it's up to me, Ray Allen's number wouldn't be retired. I fully respect and appreciate the clutch shots he made while in Boston, and over the course of his career, he was arguably the best shooter in NBA history. That being said, he also cost the Celtics more playoff games than he actually won for them, as he had a tendency to go stone cold at the worst times in May and June. I also thought he got way too much of a pass from the fans and media for not playing as hard as Pierce, Garnett and Rondo did. The latter three would play through injuries and throw their body around like they had another one in the closet. I respected Ray's professionalism and legendary pregame routine, but I never felt like he laid it all on the line to the extent that the other three did. Lastly, he willingly left Boston for Miami at the height of the Celtics-Heat rivalry. That in itself, to me, makes it a no-brainer that his Celtics number doesn't get retired.
Rondo is an interesting case. He still likely has several years, if not more, remaining in his career. While he's quietly averaging about 12 points and 12 assists a game for a struggling team this year, he's no longer mentioned as one of the top players in the game. As of now, his post-Boston career hasn't been nearly as impressive as his tenure in Boston. However, to me, that shouldn't have any bearing on whether his Celtics jersey is retired. While he was in Boston, he was definitely a top-five point guard in the league, and arguably the best point guard in the league. Additionally, for a three or four year period, he was also arguably the best player on a Celtics team that almost won the 2010 title and came this close to advancing to the 2012 NBA Finals. Additionally, I'll never forget the toughness he displayed in the 2011 playoffs when he came back into the game against Miami and played effectively with one arm. That, to me, captured the essence of Celtic Pride, and I'm not sure anyone else on that roster, with the possible exception of Pierce, would have even attempted to do that. I say Rondo's number should be retired when he calls it a career.
What do you guys think?
Topic: Who gets their number retired among Pierce, Garnett, Allen and Rondo? (Read 3186 times)