Okay, so I know it’s funny that I’m reviewing a trade involving the Boston Celtics that happened over ten years ago, that 99.9% of fans of either NBA team don’t really care about, and that it’s funny that all the players involved in this
trade were born in Louisiana, but why is this the NBA trade I chose to review this week? It’s simple.
I went to my very first Celtics game on May 21, 2012. The Philadelphia 76ers, the eighth-seeded team, were the opponent in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The final score was 101-85 in favor of the Celtics. And the top scorer in the game? That’s right, Bass scored 27 points. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo were all part of the team playing this home playoff game. A former second-round pick who was hardly the fifth option was the top scorer. Both back then and now, it was humorous.
Why then is all of this relevant? The reason for this is that Bass was the top scorer at the very first Celtics game I ever saw, which is a fun fact that I doubt many others can claim. As an eternal Bass fan, I thought it only fitting to consider how we ended up here more than 11 years later.
For those who are interested, the Boston Celtics won the series in seven games before the Miami Heat, the eventual champion, eliminated them.
Without a doubt, Bass was a fantastic big man for the Celtics. Over his four seasons in Boston, Bass averaged 10.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Bass was a consistent starter for the Celtics and started all but one of his postseason games. Furthermore, Bass was among the last remaining players from the “Big Three” era of Celtics basketball prior to the Isaiah Thomas era. Throughout his career, Bass averaged 8.7 points per game and was never selected as an All-Star, but he was at his best when playing for the Celtics
.
In 2015, Bass left Boston to sign a contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. After an uneventful 2015-16 season, Bass stayed in the City of Angels as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, reuniting him with former head coach Doc Rivers. Bass played just one season for the team before signing a deal to play in China.
