Events

Celtics to celebrate Kevin Garnett by raising No. 5 to the rafters

The Big Ticket will be honored after the C's take on the Mavericks, making it one of March's biggest tickets in town.

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As Kevin Garnett screamed to the universe almost 14 years ago, “anything is possible!”

Well, anything except another Celtic wearing No. 5 on his jersey.

After the original plans for the celebration were postponed until fans were allowed back into TD Garden, the Celtics will finally honor Garnett by retiring his number after the team’s March 13 game against Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. When that happens, he’ll become the 24th person in franchise history to be immortalized in Boston’s hallowed rafters.

Among those honorees, Garnett’s run was relatively short. He played six seasons with the Celtics, making five All-Star teams in that time, although his impact on the franchise’s recent history is reflected in the fact he’ll join Paul Pierce as the only two who’ve played post-2000 to have their numbers hung. Garnett’s acquisition and influence were the triggers that led Boston to its 2008 championship, which remains the decorated organization’s only title since 1986.

Perhaps someday the No. 20 of Ray Allen will join his Big Three brethren, but – even as fodder continues to inflame speculation about whether the trio has truly buried the hatchet almost a decade after its breakup – that’s a conversation for another time. On March 13, the spotlight belongs to Garnett.

And, as those lucky enough to attend may witness, when one of the NBA’s legendary talkers is standing in that spotlight, amped up and excited while holding a hot mic, the notion that “anything is possible” might apply yet again.