Something we can all agree on... Glad we didn't max out Horford.

[Thomas]

Extremely small sample of the Boston crowd from 2009. KG joined the Green in 2007. One of KG's or anybody's worst fears I would think. Sorry, I'm desperate to find what I'm looking for. 

 

[Thomas]

Don't worry I'm running out of energy and probably won't tie up this thread any/much more. There was a lot of iffiness to the proposed deal and for more reasons that I can completely confirm to this point. I don't make stuff up and always pay my taxes but here is a concern Doc dealt with at that time.  

http://www.twincities.com/2015/03/01/timberwolves-kevin-garnetts-resistance-to-celtics-trade-puzzled-rivers/

[Guest]

@Thomas Is this it?

 

http://www.si.com/nba/2015/07/31/boston-celtics-kevin-garnett-danny-ainge-ray-allen-paul-pierce-trade

[Thomas]

Great find and shows some of the logistics in the minds of players, coaches and owners but doesn't absolutely show what worried KG besides the teammates he would inherit. I'll take it on the chin because I need to prove my case but no way in hell no one on the Squawk doesn't remember anything involving the Celtics: trade, playoffs or anything else. Not happy with that. They are a big enemy now and always. 

[Thomas]

Could get a good bit closer but it does indeed hit close to the target in that environment back then. Think that Wilbon's sense of it is as good as I will be able to find. 

http://www.celticsblog.com/2016/7/25/12259018/boston-celtics-kevin-garnett-2007-trade-russell-westbrook-blake-griffin-drawing-parallels-nba-rumors

[Thomas]

This gives a good idea of some of what I read or heard. Right or wrong. At this point believe questions should go to Wilbon.

http://blog.thephoenix.com/blogs/medialog/archive/2007/08/01/Garnett-Boston-and-race.aspx

Some more fuel.

http://www.bostonmagazine.com/2007/12/playing-through-the-pain/

Been a while with out a doubt but is this strange enough?

Celtics Hall of Famer Bill Russell may have been named one of the NBA’s 50 greatest players, but that didn’t shield him from bigotry during his playing days. Russell, who once called Boston a “flea market of racism,” even had vandals break into his home just to defecate in his bed. His teammates also felt the hatred. “We were living in Framingham when I was a player,” recalls Celtics Hall of Famer K. C. Jones. “I went to buy a house about five blocks away…. The neighbors said they didn’t want any blacks to move into the house.” Another time, Jones applied for membership at a country club, only to be told they weren’t fond of “entertainers.” Still, Jones is quick to point out that he enjoyed his time in Boston, and that things have changed. He even calls me back to make sure I note that he harbors no ill will. He stresses this. But he also knows that the city’s racism didn’t end with him or Russell.

[Thomas]

This is as close as I have been able to get. Taken from a link already posted.

After that meeting, Garnett spoke with then-current Celtics Pierce and Allen, and former Celtics Antoine Walker and Gary Payton “to learn more about the Celtics and the city.”

http://www.celticsblog.com/2016/7/25/12259018/boston-celtics-kevin-garnett-2007-trade-russell-westbrook-blake-griffin-drawing-parallels-nba-rumors

[MaceCase]

Man, @Thomas on dissertation level research intensity.  How are you spending New Year's Eve?  Hopefully not running through the microfiche down at the library.

[Diesel]

14 hours ago, Thomas said:

Pierce and Ray both had to convince KG about the city of Boston in reference to multi culture. KG was uncomfortable with moving there. ESPN had an article on it. I'll start looking for it.

http://sneakertalk.yuku.com/topic/344593/Bostons-Reputation-as-a-Racist-Town#.WGeZqPkrKUk

 

Quote

 

Just six short months ago, news of Garnett’s supposed feelings about Boston had the city cringing. I was in my car when it happened, listening as Michael Wilbon, the Washington Post columnist and cohost of ESPN’s Pardon the Interruption, spoke on Dan Patrick’s national ESPN radio show, putting the city on the defensive. Again. It was the day of the 2007 NBA draft, and Garnett was said to have opposed any trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Celtics. This was before KG relented, of course, and people were imagining all kinds of reasons for his refusing to come here, chief among them the fact that the Celtics had been dreadful in recent seasons. But Wilbon was pretty sure there was more to it than that.

“First of all, it’s a bad team,” Wilbon opined. “Second of all, you have this history of bigotry against African-American people in Boston. The only place I’ve ever been confronted, multiple times, and been called the n-word to my face, is specifically the Boston Garden…. The fact is, Boston has that history, and black players know that, and they do not want to go voluntarily to Boston.” When asked by Patrick whether he thought that perception factored into Garnett’s unwillingness to be traded here, Wilbon said, “I know it does. Yeah. Sure. Absolutely.” He later added that racism “might have been our issue at one point, but now it’s [Boston’s] issue.”

 

 

[AUhawksfan]

I'm actually in the Boston area visiting my wife's family. A couple things:

-Boston can be a very racist town and it's 'out there' unlike other places that kind of try and mask it. I picked up on that one of the first times I was up here.

-One of my wife's friends has a husband that's a Celtic season ticket holder. He thought they had a shot with Al before he left because of ties to Ortiz:  https://www.google.com/amp/www.si.com/nba/2016/09/28/al-horford-celtics-david-ortiz-dominican-republic-karl-anthony-towns%3Famp%3D1?client=safari

I didn't know about this part but honestly I'm sure him leaving us was in the works for awhile.  I can see his wife convincing him too because of the wedding thing. 

[Thomas]

4 hours ago, MaceCase said:

Man, @Thomas on dissertation level research intensity.  How are you spending New Year's Eve?  Hopefully not running through the microfiche down at the library.

Plan on catching up on some sleep with help of a tad bit of champagne.

[MaceCase]

33 minutes ago, Thomas said:

Plan on catching up on some sleep with help of a tad bit of champagne.

Alright, we'll pick things up on Tuesday.