What Is Celtics Retrospective?
The Boston Celtics are one of the most successful franchises in NBA history, having won 17 championships. With such a rich legacy, it is only natural to want to reexamine some of the exceptional feats over their storied history. The point of Celtics Retrospective is to do just that, as we will take a brief look back at remarkable games, plays, players, and moments from the past.
First on the list, we’ll revisit game 7 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Young LeBron Faces Celtics Big 3
Before the Boston Celtics won their 17th and most recent championship in 2008, they had to get past one of the league’s best young superstars, a player named LeBron James (you may have heard of him before 🤔).
In that year’s Eastern Conference Semifinals, James’ Cleveland Cavaliers battled the powerhouse Celtics to seven games—setting the stage for an epic duel between LeBron and Celtics star Paul Pierce in Game 7. A classic matchup remembered as one of the greatest games in Boston Celtics history.
LeBron vs. Pierce
On one side was LeBron, who was already a four-time All-Star and had averaged 30 points per game during the regular season. Heading into Game 7, he was determined to prove that he could take down a 66-win Celtics team—and he almost did, with a game-high 45 points on 14/29 shooting from the field.
On the other side was Paul Pierce, who was equally impressive on the night, put up 41 points on 13/23 shooting from the field—including two clutch free throws with less than 20 seconds remaining.
The Result & Aftermath
In the end, Pierce and his big-3 teammates earned a hard-fought 97-92 win over LeBron and his Cavs squad—punching their ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2002. They would defeat Flip Saunder’s Detroit Pistons in six games and do the same against Kobe Bryant’s Lakers in the NBA Finals, earning Boston its first championship since 1986. While you had LeBron James starting to look around his Cavs roster and wonder if Cleveland gave him the best chance to win, planting the seeds for what would come.
LeBrons Performance
Despite facing a legendary Hall of Fame trio, LeBron single-handedly pushed the series to a seventh and deciding game. He showed veteran poise and leadership at just 23 years old and took charge on both ends of the floor. While it wasn’t enough for the Cavaliers to get past Boston, it remains one of the most impressive individual performances of LeBrons career, even 15 years later. It provided a glimpse at how extraordinary James’ career would be.
Paul Pierce Rises To The Occasion
Ultimately, Paul Pierce quieted a lot of doubters that night. As determined as ever, Pierce showed his leadership ability in a winner takes all game against a top player like LeBron James. His performance on the court was nothing short of incredible, as he helped carry the team over the finish line by draining a huge three-pointer and free throws down the stretch. The ability to take command of the offense and make the tough shots proved he could be THE guy on a championship team. Even if he did have help, they don’t win that game with Paul Pierce.
Game 7’s Influence On “The Decision”
Looking back, you would have to believe the Celtics, and that game 7 loss strongly influenced LeBron James’s infamous “Decision” to leave the Cavaliers during the 2010 offseason. The success of the Boston model pushed many teams around the NBA to replicate their formula for success. James saw firsthand what a successful ‘Big Three’ can do, which helped him make the decision on joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami that much easier.
From the 2023 perspective, the decision to leave was probably the right move for LeBron at the time, as Cleveland was doing absolutely nothing to put top talent around him. He just handled it wrong, as most can agree the live ESPN show wasn’t the best way to handle that situation, which added unnecessary pressure and villainized him around the league.
But in the end, we can definitely say it worked out for LeBron, and he achieved what he set out to accomplish. Winning two championships with the Heat and eventually returning to Cleveland to end the city’s 52-year title drought in 2016.
Bottom Line
Game 7 of the 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals between The King (LeBron James) and The Truth (Paul Pierce) will forever be remembered as an instant classic in Celtics lore. Despite having 45 points and giving the big three everything they could possibly handle, LeBron couldn’t overcome the lack of talent on his Cavs roster.
But as we know, it would not be the last time the Celtics would meet a LeBron James led team in the playoffs. There would be plenty more of that in the years to come…
