2008
Boston Celtics
Series Flow
4
Wins
2
Losses
Regular Season
66–16
Win–Loss
Playoff Record
16–10
Win–Loss
Finals
4–2
vs Los Angeles Lakers
Finals MVP
Pierce
Paul
Boston Celtics
66–16Los Angeles Lakers
57–25Kobe Bryant was magnificent throughout — 25.7 PPG, 5 rebounds, 5 assists per game. But the Celtics' Big Three plus Rondo's youth was too complete a team. They outscored the Lakers by 39 in Game 6.
Finals MVP
Paul Pierce
#34 · Forward
21.8
PPG
4.5
RPG
6.3
APG
"The Truth." Led the Celtics to their 17th championship in one of the most comprehensive Finals victories in history.
Only Celtics Finals MVP since Dave Cowens in 1974
His nickname "The Truth" — coined by Shaquille O'Neal — was validated on the biggest stage
How the Series Unfolded
G1 · W
1–0
G2 · L
1–1
G3 · W
2–1
G4 · W
3–1
G5 · L
3–2
G6 · W
4–2
98
BOS
88
LAL
Paul Pierce scored 22 and played through a mysterious knee injury. KG was suffocating defensively. The Celtics set the tone in a convincing home win.
Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce
22 pts · 7 reb · 6 astPlayed through a knee injury that required a wheelchair — returned and dominated.
Kevin Garnett
18 pts · 9 rebDefensively, the Lakers' offense had no answer for his length and intensity.
108
BOS
102
LAL
Kobe Bryant's 30 points led the Lakers to a Game 2 win at the Garden, evening the series and giving LA confidence for the long fight ahead.
LAL
Kobe Bryant
30 pts · 4 reb · 4 astKobe at his competitive best — refused to let the Celtics take a 2-0 series lead.
Derek Fisher
18 ptsVeteran guard gave the Lakers the secondary scoring they needed.
97
BOS
91
LAL
Ray Allen's 17 points and the Celtics' collective defensive intensity won the road game. The Big Three were operating at peak efficiency.
Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce
19 pts · 7 rebThe captain delivered in enemy territory.
Rajon Rondo
16 pts · 8 astThe young point guard ran the Celtics' offense with remarkable calm.
97
BOS
91
LAL
Kevin Garnett's defensive dominance and Pierce's offense gave Boston a commanding 3-1 series lead. The series looked over.
Boston Celtics
Kevin Garnett
20 pts · 13 reb · 2 blkDefensive anchor — locked down the Lakers' frontcourt attack for another road win.
Paul Pierce
20 pts · 8 rebThe Finals MVP continued his consistent dominance in LA.
92
BOS
103
LAL
Kobe's 25 points and the Lakers' urgency kept them alive. The Boston crowd couldn't close it out in Game 5.
LAL
Kobe Bryant
25 pts · 6 reb · 6 astLed the Lakers' survival — the one player who kept LA in the series.
Pau Gasol
18 pts · 9 rebGave the Lakers reliable production throughout the series.
131
BOS
92
LAL
The most lopsided championship-clinching game in Finals history: 131-92. Boston erupted at home. Paul Pierce wept. Kevin Garnett screamed "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE." Ray Allen danced. The 17th championship banner would hang in the Garden.
Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce
17 pts · 8 reb · 8 astFinals MVP — lifted the trophy at home and fulfilled a lifelong promise.
Kevin Garnett
26 pts · 14 reb"ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!" — His championship scream became a cultural moment.
Ray Allen
20 pts · 5 3PMClosed out the championship with a shooting performance that shocked the Lakers.
The Champions
They Pushed Us to the Limit
Kobe Bryant was magnificent throughout — 25.7 PPG, 5 rebounds, 5 assists per game. But the Celtics' Big Three plus Rondo's youth was too complete a team. They outscored the Lakers by 39 in Game 6.
25.7
PPG
5.0
RPG
5.0
APG
Had the better individual series — but Boston's team was simply greater than any one player.
History Written in 2008
Boston Celtics
17th NBA Championship — tying the Los Angeles Lakers for most in NBA history
Paul Pierce
Finals MVP — the first Celt to win the award since Dave Cowens in 1974
Kevin Garnett
"ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!" — one of the most celebrated championship moments in NBA history
Boston Celtics
Game 6, 131-92 — the most lopsided clinching game in NBA Finals history
Beyond the Box Score
The 2007-08 Celtics had assembled the "Big Three" — Paul Pierce (homegrown), Kevin Garnett (traded from Minnesota), and Ray Allen (traded from Seattle) — in one offseason. Doc Rivers welded them into a 66-win team. The result: the most dominant championship clincher in Finals history.
KG's famous post-game scream — "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!" — became one of the defining moments in modern basketball. After 12 seasons without a championship, it was a raw, authentic expression of what it means to finally win.
The Full Story
Three superstars. One season. One championship. The 2008 Boston Celtics assembled the Big Three in the summer of 2007 and won it all in their first season together — going 66-16 and then dominating the playoffs.
The Finals against Kobe Bryant's Lakers had everything. Pierce's wheelchair moment in Game 1. Kobe's 30-point Game 2 win at the Garden. And then Game 6 — a 131-92 eruption on the parquet that remains the most dominant championship-clinching performance in Finals history.
When Kevin Garnett fell to his knees and screamed into the night sky, the entire basketball world understood. After 22 years without a Celtics championship, it was finally back. "ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE."