Getting the 2008 Celtics Gang Back Together
The 2007-2008 Boston Celtics NBA season was a magical one to say the least. Going into their 62nd season, the Celtics had just come off a paltry 24 win season the year before. No one except the Celtics themselves could predict the rapid turnaround that they would have in the following year.
In the off-season, the team's leadership had made some moves acquiring 2004 MVP Kevin Garnett and also Ray Allen. This collection of players is often considered the first superstar mega-team of the modern era.
The Celtics would finish with 66 wins and 16 losses and had successfully posted the greatest single-season turnaround in the history of the league. They finished first in the Atlantic Division and the Eastern Conference. With the NBA's best record that year, they secured the third-most wins in the franchise's history, behind only the 1972-1973 Celtics who had 68 and the 1985-1986 Celtics who had 67.
That year the newly acquired Kevin Garnett would win the Defensive Player of the Year for the NBA. In the head office, Danny Ainge was named the NBA Executive of the Year for leading one of the most dramatic turnarounds in the history of the sport.
This year also brought out the fans after two straight years of missing the playoffs. They were able to sell out all 41 of their home games. That absense from the post-season was ended when they faced the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the playoffs.
The Boston Celtics advancement to the NBA Finals would be the first time since the 1987 season. They would meet up with the Los Angeles Lakers. This would reignite one of the classic rivalries across all sports between the Lakers and the Celtics. The Celtics would defeat the Lakers 4 games to 2 to become the 2008 World Champions of the NBA.
This would be their first championship since 1986. It would mark the franchises 17th title, making Boston the leader for most championships in the NBA. This team would ultimately have the longest and most difficult road having played a full 26 games in the post-season to win the championship, more than any team prior.
Effective Basketball has been fortunate to be able to work with three members of that 2008 Boston Celtics Championship Squad. The Effective Basketball family includes starting center Kendrick Perkins, center Brian Scalabrine and Guard Tony Allen all from that famed team.
Each has provided for us and the students of the basketball game, their best insights, drills, plays and techniques that they garnered over their collective careers.
Check out these short interviews with each of these great athletes and take advantage of the resources they've shared with fans and students of the basketball game!
Kendrick Perkins
For more from Kendrick Perkins, you will want to get ahold of his BIG MAN MASTERPLAN. This instructional will help you build your skills if you are a big player, or will help you put the big players on your team to better use using Kendrick's experiences. You can get your copy here or at the Buy Now Link Below.
Brian Scalabrine
Being part of one of the first mega-teams of the modern era, Brian "White Mamba" Scalabrine has a lot of secrets he can share about how to be the BIG MAN IN THE MODERN BASKETBALL ERA! That's why we named his instructional what we did. Take advantage of his championship level experience and get your copy here or at the Buy Now Link below.
Tony Allen
With the help of Tony "The Grind Father" Allen, you're going to learn the best ways to shut down elite players with his Grit N Grind Approach to Elite Defense. You can get your copy here or at the Buy Now Link below.
