THE BEST TEAM WON

Simply put they were the better TEAM. They were the best TEAM all year and. in the end, the best TEAM usually wins. I wasn't a believer. I saw them get taken to seven games by the worse playoff team in the league, the Atlanta Hawks, and I shook my head. I saw a one-man team take them to seven games and shook my head even harder. When they played against the Pistons, I boldly predicted the Pistons would win because the Celtics weren't ready.

What I failed to realize is all those trials and tribulations through the first two rounds of the playoffs turned a team who thought they could win a title to a team that knew they could win an NBA Title.

When they came back from ten down in the 4th quarter against the Pistons to clinch the Eastern Conference Championship, you saw a preview of what was to come in the NBA Finals.

You know the saying:

Defense Wins Championships

There was no better illustration of that than the NBA Finals. When the Celtics locked in defensively, they were 20 points better than the Lakers and that were obvious from Game 1. Similar to how they shut down Lebron James, they slowed down Kobe Bryant and just snuffed out the rest of the Lakers. Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Derrick Fisher and the bench were non-factors in this series. TEAMs win championships not individual playersm even individual players as great as Kobe Bryant.

What was evident was that the Celtics were a TEAM. If it wasn't Paul Pierce, it was Ray Allen. If it wasn't KG, it was Kendrick Perkins or Leon Powe. If it wasn't Rondo, it was Eddie House or James Posey. This wasn't just the Big 3, this was the Big 12. A total TEAM effort. That is what beat the Lakers.

Speaking of the Big 3, you have to be happy for them. Kevin Garnett suffered, and I mean suffered, for a long time in Minnesota while biting his lip about incompetent management. There is no one I am aware of in the league who doesn't like and respect Kevin Garnett. KG is the main reason that Celtics are holding a trophy right now. Besides being one of the five best players in the game, the way he changed the attitude and work ethic of that locker room can not be understated. I am happy that he has his ring and has solidified his place as one of the greatest power forwards ever.

I left Jesus Shuttlesworth for dead after the Cavs series. I am not sure what happened. Maybe he got a hold of that "Roger Clemens," but from the start of the Pistons series, he has been their most consistent player. I know he has been having a medical issue with his son that he didn't want the public to know about, which I respect more than you can know. I hope everything turns out well. Ray is a good guy and has always been a solid player.

Paul Pierce deserves credit. Not for the acting job he did on his knee, not for his offensive performance, but for the outstanding defense he played in the NBA Finals. It was above and beyond exceptional. When the Celtics were getting blown out in Game 4, he asked for the responsibility of guarding Kobe Bryant and that changed the complexion of the entire series. It will be his defensive performance that will be talked about for years to come. No matter which way you look at it, he is now a Celtic legend. When you are a Celtic legend, you are never forgotten. Not bad for a player who thought he was going to be traded last summer.

At the beginning of this series I stated it was one where a legendary player became immortal. In the end, it was a legendary TEAM that made its mark as part of an Immortal franchise.