Ex-Celtics Guard Hated ‘Terrible’ Boston Stint, Defends Kyrie Irving
Sebastian Telfair spent 11 seasons in the NBA before calling it quits in 2015, but the now-retired 39-year-old despised playing for the Celtics above any other organization in the league.
“I’m not a huge fan of Boston and Boston fans are (expletives),” Telfair told VladTV. “I was not feeling how they was treating Kyrie (Irving), but they did they thing and when you win, it is what it is.”
Telfair joined the Celtics — along with Theo Ratliff — in the summer of 2006 after being traded from the Trail Blazers in exchange for Randy Foye, Raef LaFrentz, Dan Dickau, and the No. 7 overall pick in the draft. Then-Boston general manager Danny Ainge, at the time, was in search of a go-to point guard to entrust, two years before assembling the team’s “Big Three” of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
Those plans took a turn after Ainge traded Boston back into the lower end of the first round to acquire the draft rights to Rajon Rondo from Kentucky, who’d outshine Telfair and become the clear-cut choice for the Celtics.
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Telfair averaged 6.1 points, 1.4 rebounds and 2.8 assists, playing behind Rondo and Delonte West. The straw that broke the camel’s back, however, came when Telfair was arrested in 2007 after being caught with a loaded handgun while speeding in New York. Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck pulled the trigger on behalf of the organization and severed ties completely with Telfair, sending him to free agency.
The brief stint in Boston cemented Telfair’s mind when looking back.
“That’s why I don’t like they ass,” Telfair added on Boston fans.
In hindsight, regardless of how Telfair feels, the Celtics made the right decision. Sticking with Rondo, who too, wasn’t the most patient as a young up-and-coming star guard, paid off tremendously. Rondo became a homegrown All-Star facilitator, making scoring for Pierce, Garnett and Allen, infinitely easier throughout their two runs to the NBA Finals.
Telfair still stuck around the league, packaged in Boston’s 2007 summer trade for Garnett with the Timberwolves. From there, Telfair logged his best campaign in 2007-08, averaging 9.3 points and 5.9 assists, helping him earn a three-year extension with Minnesota.
Yet, while Telfair could be regarded as an inadvertent contributor to Boston’s 2008 title, he’s taking no positives from having sported a Celtics uniform.
“I don’t wanna go into all the details about Boston BS, but I think my timing with being at Boston was terrible,” Telfair explained. “Doc Rivers was the coach. We had a bunch of young guys. Paul Pierce was there. I think I spoke about this a little bit, I think my timing and me coming in with my hype and that group of guys with Tony Allen, Delonte West, (Rajon) Rondo, Al Jefferson and (Kendrick) Perkins, Paul Pierce — yeah, that was terrible for me.”