Career Save: Celtics Win 2008 NBA Championship

The Boston Celtics won their 17th NBA championship on June 17, but that's not really news, not if you've been following the entire 2007-2008 NBA season since last summer. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen became Celtics, Paul Pierce wasn't dealt elsewhere, and from that point the team was crowned--no biggie. What is a biggie is the fact that this championship will redefine the careers of most of the roster, and probably all of the main players on the Celtics' active roster that played throughout the season. Some will be defined as Hall of Fame players, others will be seen as legitimate NBA players, and some players will be able to leave the game having made good on their last shot as champions.

Let's take a look at the before and after views of the significant Celtics' careers as they are framed according to be crowned as champions.

Kevin Garnett, before: A sure-fire Hall of Fame player who was destined to being one of the great legends never to win a championship, a la Patrick Ewing, Charles Barkley and Karl Malone; KG, after: A sure-fire Hall of Famer who proved that when given the assets, he can change an entire organization's culture. Actually, had KG lost the series, he would likely been seen as "un-clutch" considering how poorly he played during the actual Finals, but his ability to make others play up to their ability was the mark that he made.

Paul Pierce, before: A maligned, yet talented swingman destined to be known as an underrated talent of his generation, with bad luck; Pierce, after: As Bill Simmons mentioned before on ESPN.com, Pierce may now be remembered as a top-75 player in the history of the NBA. Interestingly, Pierce never played better in the Playoffs than he did in 2008, and strangely, at the age of 31, finally got into peak shape (or somewhere near that realm)--amazing, considering his rep as being "chubby like a baby" on NBA fan blog YaySports.com.

Ray Allen, before: One of the best shooters in basketball history, who was resigned to playing for small-market teams that really peaked once before sinking into oblivion; Allen, after: A certified winner, who was able to really sacrifice his role as the alpha dog to be the designated third option for a championship ball club.

Kendrick Perkins, before: A bruiser with the blessing of size to keep his job in the league; after: A legitimate post option who has the ability to play big when it counts.

Rajon Rondo, before: A young talent whose abilities both enabled and disabled his growth as a starting point guard in a big city with a team with winning tradition; after: The same young talent who now has had his abilities tested by way of fire, and can finally settle down knowing that he can execute the responsibilities of running a championship offense.

Big Baby Davis, before: A talented, overweight overachiever who, by lack of virtue of other NBA general managers, became a Boston Celtic reserve as a second-round pick; Big Baby, after: Can rest assured that he will be a rotation player in the league, with his contributions to the team being well noted as a good post option offensively and a presence defensively.

Leon Powe, before, after: See Big Baby (though Powe is not overweight).

Eddie House, before: A journeyman shooting guard who was more likely to be remembered as a great college player (Arizona State) who just happened to catch on with numerous teams with his three-point shooting and on-par ball-handling skills; House, after: A capable scorer who finally proved that he can efficiently play the point guard position, something that he has been criticized for ever since the 2000 NBA Draft as a 6'2" combination guard.

As for the other key veterans such as Sam Cassell, James Posey and P.J. Brown, their careers were sort of set in stone prior to the point of Boston's winning the title. Cassell won the NBA championship in his first two years in the league as a Houston Rocket, and became recognized as a ballsy, scoring point guard and a true winner. Posey, won the 2006 title for the Miami Heat, largely making a name for himself as a perimeter-shooting, ball-stopping defender. Brown already had a reputation as a winner as a Miami Heat and Charlotte/New Orleans Hornet; if nothing else, he was able to add an exclamation point to his winning pedigree.

When it's all said and done, the Boston Celtics' arrival as champions isn't much of a surprise, but the surprise has come in how the above players' contribution has helped shape their futures to the degree that they will be remembered as winners or have proven their talent to the point that they have lengthened their careers.