Should We Be Concerned About History Repeating Itself?

Monday, July 05, 2010

Scott Cordischi, GoLocalProv Sports Editor

Paul Pierce is a Celtic again. Could Ray Allen be far behind?

We’re still a ways away from the start of the 2010-2011 NBA season but it is very possible that the Eastern Conference Champion Boston Celtics could be very close to the same team we saw walk off the floor in Los Angeles in late June following game 7 of the NBA Finals.

The core of the team is the Big 3. Or, the Big 4 if you add Rajon Rondo to the mix. Rondo will be back as will Kevin Garnett who is under contract for another two seasons. Paul Pierce opted out of the final year of his deal with the team only to re-up for a four year deal that will keep him in Celtics green through the 2013-2014 campaign. Ray Allen supposedly wants to re-sign with Boston but is currently a free agent.

Should Boston re-sign Allen, and even if they don’t, many wonder if the organization will be repeating a mistake is made in the early 90’s when they chose to hold on to the original Big 3 too long. However, looking back, that decision wasn’t what necessarily led to the franchises decline.

Yes, it was clear in the early 90’s that back problems had gotten the best of Larry Bird. In 1992, Bird retired after a loss in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to Cleveland.

A year later, Boston lost a first round series to the Charlotte Hornets and Kevin McHale called it a career.

The official end to the original Big 3 came when Robert Parrish the next year when the Chief signed with Charlotte.

Many blamed Celtics GM Jan Volk and CEO Dave Gavitt for not breaking the Big 3 up at an earlier date claiming that they were responsible for the many lean years to follow. But it was another “Big 3” which ultimately led to the Celtics’ demise.

First, there was the death of Len Bias. Drafted second overall by the Celtics in the 1986 NBA draft, he was considered to be the closest thing there was to Michael Jordan. Tragically, two days after being drafted by Boston, he died from cardiac arrhythmia due to a cocaine overdose.

A year later, Boston drafted Northeastern star Reggie Lewis with the 22^ndoverall pick in the 1987 NBA draft. A terrific college player, Lewis blossomed into a great pro as well averaging over 20 points per game in his final two seasons as a Celtic.

Tragically, Lewis also died of sudden cardiac arrest in July of 1993. While there was speculation that cocaine use may have also contributed to his death, it was officially listed as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which is a structural heart defect. None the less, it was another tragic and costly loss for the Celtics organization.

Finally, there were some poor personnel decisions. In three consecutive drafts from 1992-1994, Boston selected with its first round picks Jon Barry, Acie Earl and Eric Montross. None ever contributed to a level to even be considered adequate pros and the downward spiral was on.

So while we wait for Ray Allen and the Celtics to decide whether or not they want to continue their partnership, let’s not lament the idea of keeping this latest version of the Big 3 together for too long and the possible future ramifications it may have on the organization.

After all, they were less than 12 minutes away from winning an 18^thNBA title last month so there’s still something left in their proverbial gas tanks. And the duration of their stay shouldn’t be exclusively tied to the future fortunes of this franchise. What happened in the late 80’s and early 90’s should have taught us that.