Lakers, Nets find riding Big 3 to championship not so easy

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Looking back on it, Kevin Garnett was concerned it wouldn’t all work out.

It was 2007 and Garnett, coming off his 10th All-Star selection, had just been dealt to the Celtics as the final piece of an offseason shakeup in Boston that paired him with future Hall of Famers Paul Pierce and Ray Allen.

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The expectation was a championship or bust for that group. Anything else would be a failure.

It wasn’t — and isn't — a new scenario.

Forming star trios had been the well-worn formula for building championship teams for decades in the NBA. It dates back to the Celtics historic reign in the 1960s, to the Showtime Lakers’ dominance in the 80s, to the Bulls’ six titles in the 90s.

Still, the 2007-08 season was the first time it had been done with such intention in the new millennium and the spotlight was shining bright on the Celtics. As much as then-Boston general manager Danny Ainge was the architect, it would be up to the players to make it work.

Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James talks to teammates during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Houston Rockets, Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021, in Houston. (AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)

"I had a lot of confidence in myself. I had a lot of confidence in my ability. I think my big worries were how would I mesh with Paul? How would I mesh with Ray? How to mesh with some of their some of the young guys here?" Garnett recalled last week. "Danny had a plan. I don’t know if that was the exact plan, but it worked out. And then having a future All-Star in the chamber with Rondo having so many complementary pieces made the team that much more