The Boston Celtics were once a very good team, if never quite one that deserved the heroic narrative they received in the early years of the Big Three. Now, with the end of the road seemingly rushing up for Pierce and Garnett, are we allowed to acknowledge that they've always been too small for their narrative?
For a brief moment, Amar'e Stoudemire was at the center of something great in New York, and looked like the city's next great basketball hero. He's still in town, but that moment and Stoudemire's opportunity appear to have passed.