NBA

Pierce, Garnett set for emotional return to Boston

BOSTON — For all the points, all the rebounds, all the assists, all the endless statistics he forged during 15 generally glorious seasons with the Celtics, Paul Pierce left an enduring image to define his Boston legacy with one play, a hustle play.

“Game 7 against Cleveland on a jump ball, he dives on the loose ball,” said Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, recalling the 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals when Pierce, injured earlier in the game, secured the ball with a minute to play and the Celtics up three. “He was having a great game, 41 points. … He made so many memorable shots, but the one thing that tells you about Paul is he would do anything it took to win. That was probably my favorite memory.”

And the gift given to the Celtic mystique by Kevin Garnett, a showpiece in the 2008 NBA championship, also was not something measured on statistical charts. It was his impact on others.

“Kevin brought an infectious intensity to the team, almost a crazy intensity that rubs off on everybody around him,” said Steve Pagliuca, Boston Celtics co-owner, and managing partner and president of the Shamrock Foundation. “Kevin defines what it means to make other guys better.”

Pierce and Garnett play in Boston against the Celtics on Sunday for the first time as Nets. The response should be overwhelming from a city and fans who loved them in green and white. They will hear the adoration along with Jason Terry, also traded with them during the offseason. They will do it together, something they cherish.

“To make this whole transition efficient and worthwhile, it’s [easier] having someone that’s not only your partner, but your brother,” Garnett said. “Someone who’s been there with you.

“To go through this whole thing, not only with him but with Jet [Terry] also, that’s made it [easier]. Not that it’s made things simple or less frustrating, but it’s made the whole process worthwhile. We’re going there with all good thoughts and open arms.”

Garnett and Pierce. Pierce and Garnett. They played six years together with the Celtics, enjoyed a 314-161 record, the 2008 championship. They’ll feel Boston’s love Sunday. Together, of course.

“We shared so many memories, on and off the court,” said Pierce, the ’08 Finals MVP who ranks third in games played as a Celtic. “We won a championship [and] a lot of things go through your head. Going to be a lot of emotions.”

Pierce said he doesn’t know how he will react. A safe bet? Go with overwhelmed.

“Definitely a lot of memories are going to be passing through my head,” he said. “You play so many games in one building, but it’s something you can’t script. You play your whole life there, won a championship there. The first time coming to the B, I never thought it would happen.”

But it will. And it will not be just another NBA day.

“It will really be special because Boston was such a special place for them,” Nets general manager Billy King said. “Boston was home for Paul his whole career. For KG, it’s where he won a championship.”

Among current Celtics, just a few Pierce-Garnett teammates remain. Guys like Brandon Bass and Jeff Green predicated a “very emotional” time for the Nets.

The less-than-gushing Rajon Rondo said, “It’s just another game we need to win.”

The Celtics already endured one emotional return this season when Doc Rivers came back after leaving for the Clippers. Boston showered Rivers with love. He expects the same to happen Sunday.

“It’s going to be crazy,” Rivers said. “The the reason the city loved them is because they did it right and they did everything they could every night to win. … Cities feel that. New York is like that. New York, they say white collar? It’s blue collar. People see that.”

They saw them doing things like diving on loose balls, making teammates better.

“Kevin changed everything around here more than any one individual,” Ainge said.

“The six years we were invested in, we put everything into it,” Garnett said. “The people of [New England] all understood that. They saw the appreciation and the hard work … the effort more than anything.

“They have a little pregame thing they used to always say. I used to always hear Larry Bird. … Larry said, ‘You can’t fool the people of Boston. They know when you’re working hard, they know pure basketball,’ and that’s right. When you go all out, they understand that, they root for that. That’s what they remember.”

Memories come in many forms. Pagliuca, who said trading the duo was “very difficult from an emotional standpoint,” recalled seeing Pierce before every game and how Garnett calmed teammates.

“I go to the [Boston] Garden and I still expect to see Paul coming out of that locker room,” Pagliuca said. “When Rondo was a young player, Kevin would take him aside and rub his head like a crystal ball. It had a calming influence. Then Rondo would go and win games for us. … Kevin was really the anchor to that championship.”

But the run ended. With the Nets including three first-round picks in the trade, the Celtics pulled the trigger.

“It’s really hard,” Ainge said of trading icons. “The franchise is always bigger than any individual, and yet it’s individuals like that who win championships. … It made it a little easier for me, the fact that KG and Paul were going to the same place.”

The Nets played in Boston during the preseason, but Garnett and Pierce skipped that game. There will be no skipping out Sunday.

“We had some really good years there,” Garnett said. “Anybody who’s part of that run and part of that era will always be remembered. [Boston fans] never forget their favorites. … Some things are forever.”

— Additional reporting by Tim Bontemps.