Celtics: Paul Pierce Reveals Boston’s Unsung Hero During 2008’s Championship Run

Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce took a trip down memory lane and recounted how his team seized the NBA title in 2008. While the championship run was mainly highlighted by the Big Three of him, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, the former 10-time All-Star took time to bring their “unsung hero” to the fore whom he raved about his pivotal play in their successful bid for the chip.

Pierce was talking about James Posey who was a seasoned veteran at the time the Celtics finished off the Lakers in six games in the Finals 12 years ago. But more than the experience, it was Posey’s tremendous perimeter defense, most particularly on Kobe Bryant, which proved crucial in the title series according to the 42-year-old Pierce.

"That was the year Posey was a beast," Pierce said on the latest episode of The Players' Tribune's "Knuckleheads" podcast. "He was hitting big shots. And he would go and lock up and take (the) pressure off of me. Posey was like one of the big glue guys you want to have. Like, guys like that are guys that help you win championships, for real."

Sparked by Posey’s potent defensive instincts, the Celtics were able to hold Bryant to 40.6 percent shooting from the field and 26.8 percent from beyond the arc in the series. The Cleveland, Ohio-raised cager even stole the show in Game Four, scoring 18 points behind a scorching 50 percent shooting from deep as the Celtics battled back from 24 points down to steal the game.

Posey marked the end of his ephemeral stay in Boston when he signed to play in New Orleans the following season. But it was not until the 2010 Finals when the Celtics sorely missed him and his defensive tools. As Boston faced their arch-rivals in Los Angeles anew, the team was left aching for help when Bryant started to run riot of its defense en route to completing the revenge championship which was also the second straight title for the Lakers. Pierce knew Posey's presence would have been a huge difference-maker that could have reshaped history.

Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston even said, “The 2008 Celtics will go down as one of the best in franchise history, and while Posey wasn't one of the team's "Big 3", he definitely ranks among that squad's most valuable players.”