Dwyane Wade recently took a jab at the 2008 Boston Celtics during an episode of ‘The Wine Down’ podcast, downplaying the significance of their championship win. Wade pointed out that the Celtics’ triumph in 2008 feels overly celebrated by its players, almost as if they had won numerous titles.
“You won’t see a lot of Boston Celtics 2008 that come together in 1 year and win a championship. Because ain’t no habits been built really. That’s a special year for those guys that’s why that one championship that they won feel like when they talk to you they feel like they won 12.”
“Yeah you feel like when you hear Paul and them talking you be like ‘How many championships did you win’. Yeah, shoutout to the 08 Boston Celtics they did something special. But we stopped all that.” (8:12)
Dwyane Wade expressed his skepticism about the sustainability of the 2008 Celtics’ success. He emphasized that building a championship team usually involves creating long-term habits and chemistry, which the Celtics did not have time to develop.
The 2008 Celtics, led by Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen, came together quickly and achieved immediate success. However, Wade implied that this quick assembly and victory lacked the foundational strength seen in dynastic teams.
Reflecting on his own experience, Wade noted that while the Celtics had a spectacular 2008 season, the Miami Heat soon ended their reign. The Heat’s formidable trio of Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh went on to dominate the league, winning back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013. Wade suggested that the Heat’s sustained success was built on a stronger foundation compared to the Celtics’ fleeting glory.
Wade humorously remarked that the way Celtics’ players like Paul Pierce talk about their 2008 championship, one might think they had won multiple titles. He acknowledged their achievement but highlighted that the Heat’s subsequent success overshadowed the Celtics’ short-lived dominance.
The 2008 Celtics did indeed have a remarkable run, finishing the regular season with a 66-16 record and securing their first title since 1986. However, Wade argued that their inability to sustain this success was evident as they struggled in the following seasons, particularly against the Heat.
Ultimately, Wade’s comments serve as a reminder of the intense rivalry between the Celtics and the Heat, particularly during the early 2010s. The Heat’s ability to build a lasting legacy contrasts with the Celtics’ brief but bright moment of glory in 2008, reinforcing the importance of long-term team building in achieving sustained success in the NBA.
The 2008 Celtics Were Supposed To Dominate The NBA For Years
The 2008 Boston Celtics, after their championship victory, were expected to dominate the NBA for years. With a core of Paul Pierce (31), Kevin Garnett (32), and Ray Allen (33), complemented by young talents like Rajon Rondo (22) and Kendrick Perkins (24), the team seemed poised for a prolonged era of success.
In the 2008-09 season, the Celtics finished second in the Eastern Conference with a 62-20 record. However, their hopes were dashed in the second round of the playoffs by the Orlando Magic, largely due to the absence of Kevin Garnett, who was sidelined since February with a knee injury.
The following season, 2009-10, saw the Celtics finishing fourth in the East with a 50-34 record. Despite being underdogs, they managed to overcome strong teams like the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic to reach the NBA Finals. They faced the Los Angeles Lakers in a dramatic seven-game series but ultimately fell short in the final game.
In 2010-11, the Celtics finished third in the East with a 56-26 record. However, their playoff run ended in the second round against the Miami Heat, who had formed their own superteam with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
The lockout-shortened 2011-12 season saw the Celtics finish fourth in the East with a 39-27 record. They made a deep playoff run and led the Heat 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Finals but couldn’t close the series, losing in seven games.
Ray Allen’s departure to the Heat in the 2012 offseason marked the beginning of the end for that Celtics core. The team struggled in the 2012-13 season, finishing seventh with a 41-40 record and losing in the first round to the New York Knicks.
In the 2013 offseason, the Celtics traded Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets in a deal that yielded several future draft picks. This trade proved to be a masterstroke, as those picks eventually became key assets used to draft Jaylen Brown in 2016 and Jayson Tatum in 2017.
While the Celtics have now returned to the pinnacle of the NBA, they must learn from their past. Maintaining health, fostering young talent, and making astute decisions in free agency and trades will be crucial to avoiding the pitfalls that prevented the 2008 Celtics from becoming a dynasty.
With their current core, the Celtics have a chance to sustain success and potentially avoid the abrupt decline that followed their last championship.
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