Celtics' quick turnaround testament to team play

My son and I happened to be in Boston last summer, on our annual ballpark trip, when the Celtics introduced their latest acquisition to the faithful.

They did it at Fenway Park on a perfect summer evening before an Orioles-Red Sox game. It was a surprisingly memorable moment.

First, you had the fact that Fenway was full, as it always is, so the effect was that of an enthusiastic congregation at a very large outdoor church.

Second, you had the fact that it was Fenway, one of the most picturesque sports settings in America but also one of the most intimate, making it feel almost like a personal introduction.

Third, you had the sight of Kevin Garnett, an iconic figure in basketball, apparently out of place in a Red Sox jersey on a baseball diamond, getting the reception he had always seemed to deserve but had never gotten in basketball, in a town where he hadn't done anything yet. His smile seemed to stretch from one dugout to the other.

Finally, you had the deep and obvious sense of community among Boston sports fans. Red Sox fans and Celtics fans were one and the same. Garnett could not have been greeted more warmly at the new Garden. In that moment, he became the vessel for Boston's dreams of a Celtics revival.

A year later, it has worked out just as those dreamers imagined -- a championship on the first try.

Basketball, the game, keeps trying to teach the NBA, the league, the same lesson. Many organizations should start paying attention, none more so than the Denver Nuggets: Individuals don't win championships, teams do.

In fact, when Danny Ainge took over the Celtics front office five years ago, he found a team not unlike today's Nuggets. Not quite as good as the Nuggets, not quite as expensive, but similar. It featured two individual scoring stars -- Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker -- surrounded by complementary players who mostly stood around and watched.

In the season that had just ended when Ainge was hired in May 2003, the Celtics won 44 games, made the playoffs and advanced to the second round. Didn't matter. Ainge didn't like the mix or the style of play. He unloaded Walker before the next season began. Didn't get much in return, either, which launched his reputation as a poor dealmaker.

Ever since, he's been trying to build a team around Pierce. Give him credit for keeping the right scorer. Still, it was a struggle. In Ainge's fourth season in charge, after struggling through an inexplicable Ricky Davis phase, he finally succumbed to full rebuilding mode. The team won 24 games last season.

Then the executive known for good drafts and lousy trades traded almost all his good draft picks for Garnett and Ray Allen, a couple of 30-something stars. It might have been simple desperation. The hounds were at the door.

And, yes, to beat that nag one more time, Ainge added a critical role player off the bench in James Posey. The Nuggets, Posey's original team, were coming off a first- round playoff exit, clearly in need of his exact skill set -- perimeter defense, three- point shooting and mental toughness. They could have made the same play. Posey was available on the free-agent market most of the summer. He finally signed Aug. 27.

In one of the most amazing transformations in NBA history, the group Ainge assembled blended into a team, almost from the first day. This was due, in part, to Allen, who gave up shot attempts and, in part, to Pierce, who was happy for the help.

But it was due mostly to Garnett, the driven team player who became the offensive traffic cop and defensive linchpin as soon as he stepped on the floor. Like the Spurs before them, the Celtics were built around that rarest of modern creatures -- the unselfish NBA superstar. Garnett was this year's Tim Duncan.

The Celtics played together because they accepted coach Doc Rivers' authority, just as the Spurs accept Gregg Popovich's. In both cases, it is the leadership of the stars that sets the tone.

From the beginning, this season's playoffs rewarded teams over individuals. The international game has been delivering the same message for some time now. The Lakers averaged 28 assists a game in the first round against the Nuggets. In the Finals, they were down to 19. It was the Celtics passing the ball around like the Globetrotters. Near the end of the series, they had one possession where they were having so much fun sharing the ball that they couldn't stop. I think it was finally picked off on the ninth pass.

The Celtics' team defense finally stopped the Lakers' fun, turning Kobe Bryant, the league MVP, into just another frustrated gunner.

Basketball keeps teaching the same lessons. The Nuggets should take note: The best team beat the best player.

Teamwork and defense still win championships.

(Contact Dave Krieger of the Rocky Mountain News at kreigerd(at)rockymountainnews.com.)