Paul Pierce has been the Celtics' star since coming into the league in 1998, but he's been part of a struggling team for a good portion of his career. Pierce was only a part of three winning seasons before Kevin Garnett came into town. The teamup—along with the addition of a few key components—led to the Celtics' first championship in 22 years in 2008. Boston became a consistent threat since then, but the trade of Garnett and Pierce to Brooklyn marked the end of an era.
After Boston and Brooklyn finalized the trade, the Celtics took out a full-page ad at the Boston Globe to thank the duo for its service. Pierce leaves Boston as the franchise's second-leading scorer behind John Havlicek.
Unfortunately, they showed no love for Jason Terry who also got shipped to Brooklyn:
ESPN reported the Celtics organization tweeted "To two of the greatest @Celtics Legends of all-time: Thank you. You will always be Celtics."
Wait? The greatest?