How James and Ainge Changed the NBA

LeBron's biggest rival wasn't a player.

The same week that LeBron James's Lakers bowed out in the first round of the NBA playoffs, so did Danny Ainge. Uncharacteristic ends to a season for both giants of the NBA, and Ainge retired from his position as President of Basketball Operations of the Boston Celtics..

The past three seasons saw these men in different conferences. But for a long time in the Eastern Conference, they were rivals. That may be an odd thing to say about a player and a front office executive, but each seemed to make decisions based on what the other was doing.

Ainge took the reins of the Celtics in 2003, the same year James entered the league with the Cavaliers. The Celtics nudged out the Cavs by a game for the last spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Both teams improved the following season, but the Cavs missed the playoffs again while the Celtics won their division. Both seasons, the Celtics lost in the first round of the playoffs.

The Celtics, however,struggled the next two seasons and plunged to just 24 wins in  06-07. Meanwhile, the Cavs ascended with James's continued improvement, reaching the conference semifinals in '06 and the Finals in '07.

LeBron was only 22 when he reached the Finals, and everyone kenw he would only get better. One could see him owning the East for years to come. Ainge had to make drastic moves to save his job and to challenge LeBron's projected long-term dominance.

That's when he traded lots of players and draft picks for Ray Allen of the SuperSonics and Kevin Garnett of the Timberwolves. They joined with the Celtics' one star, Paul Pierce to form the "Big Three."

A rivalry was born: Ainge vs. LeBron James. 

The Celtics improved to 66 wins. Along the way, they got past the Cavaliers in conference semis, but the Cavs forced them to seven games. The Celtics won the 2008 NBA title.

The following season, Garnett was injured about two-thirds through the regular season. The Celtics were stopped by peak Dwight Howard and the Magic in the conference semis. The Magic then beat the Cavs in the conference finals.

By 2010, the Celtics were practically Big Four with Rajon Rondo coming into his own and a healthy Garnett. In the conference semis, they beat the Cavs in six and made the Finals.

At this point, LeBron knew he had to make a decision, which became The Decision. Just as Ainge needed more stars to get past LeBron, LeBron now knew he needed all-star teammates to get past Boston. He got them by signing with the Miami Heat and teaming up with their star Dwyane Wade and fellow free agent Chris Bosh from the Toronto Raptors. A new “Big Three” was born.

The Heat would make four Finals in a row. In 2011, they took out the Celtics 4-1 in the conference semis. In 2012,  the Celtics took the Heat to seven in the conference finals. The Heat would go on to win the first Finals with LeBron. Allen then left the Celtics to sign with the Heat.

In 2013, the Celtics fell to 7th place and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Knicks. Coach Doc Rivers left for the Clippers, Garnett and Pierce were traded to the Nets for lots of draft picks, and Ainge began a rebuild with new coach Brad Stevens. In 2014, they missed the playoffs. The Heat lost to the Spurs in the Finals and LeBron, again a free agent, moved back to Cleveland to join Kyrie Irving. The Cavs traded for Kevin Love of the Timberwolves and yet another "Big Three" was born. The Cavs would make four Finals in a row.

In 2015, the Cavs swept the Celtics in the first round on their way to the Finals. The two teams didn't play each other in the 2016 playoffs; the Celtics lost in the first round to the Hawks while the Cavs won the Finals. But the draft picks, coaching, and acquisitions were beginning to bear fruit.

In 2017, the Cavs topped the Celtics 4-1 in the Conference Finals. After that season, Irving requested a trade. The Celtics got him. Although Irving and fellow acquired star Gordon Hayward were out due to injuries, the Celtics pushed the Cavs to seven games in the 2018 Finals.

After losing to the Warriors in the Finals, LeBron left for the Los Angeles Lakers. He got hurt and the Lakers missed the playoffs in 2019. The Celtics couldn't seize the opportunity to win the East, losing in the 2019 semis. Irving became a polarizing figure and left after the season. 

In the 2020 "Bubble" season, the Celtics lost in the Eastern Finals in six games to the Heat, while LeBron and the Lakers won it all. In 2021 the Lakers were plagued by injuries and, despite having young stars, the Celtics fell to mediocrity. 

This means the 2018 Conference Finals is likely the last time LeBron would meet an Ainge-run team in the playoffs. Altogether, they met in seven playoff series. The winner made the Finals each time. Ainge won the first two because of his Big Three. LeBron won the rest. The Celtics' failure to win a LeBron-less East the past three seasons is likely the reason Ainge retired.

More importantly, however, is how they together changed NBA culture. Yes, NBA teams had three stars on championship teams before, but they were usually "homegrown," drafted by that same team. Now, player movement through free agency and forced trades is the norm. Concerns about team chemistry and shallow depth due to the high salaries of the star players, are often kicked to the corner.

And it's probably correct to try to "win now" with three stars rather than worry about chemistry and the salary cap. Ainge and James showed that.

If the Brooklyn Nets with their stars Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving win the championship this season, they have Danny Ainge and LeBron James to thank.  

I wish Danny Ainge well in his retirment.

James Leroy Wilson writes from Nebraska. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter. If you find value in his articles, subscribe. Your support through Paypal helps keep him going. You may contact him for your writing, editing, and research needs: jamesleroywilson-at-gmail.com.