Boston Celtics: Best Celtics Players since 2000

Having ruled the 20th century NBA landscape by winning 16 titles (most by any franchise), the Celtics have been relatively quiet since 2000.

The 2008 NBA championship has been the lone bright spot for this illustrious organization having housed some of the game's all-time greats. Names like Larry Bird, Bill Russell, Robert Parish and Kevin McHale are almost synonymous with the Celtics legacy, but there's certainly more to it than meets the eye.

In this piece, let's try and pay some much-deserved attention to a few of the modern Boston legends who have carried the Celtic named forward in the 21st century so far.

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Honorable Mentions

Tony Allen(2004-2010)

Tony Allen played as a shooting guard coming off the bench.

Boston drafted Tony as a first-round pick in the 2004 NBA draft, and he stayed with the franchise for his first six seasons in the league.

His breakout season came in 2006-07 when he averaged a career-high 11.5 points along with 1.5 steals per game on the defensive end. An unfortunate season-ending knee injury in the same year caused him to sit out after playing just 33 games.

Before signing with the Grizzlies in 2010, Tony Allen had played a total of 336 games in a Celtics uniform averaging 18.4 minutes, 7.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and almost one steal a game.

Kendrick Perkins(2003-2010)

Kendrick Perkins was traded by the Grizzlies to the Celtics on draft day.

During a solid seven-and-a-half season stint in Boston, Perkins built a strong reputation as a guy who can defend any big man in the league. He averaged as high as 2 blocks per game in the 2008-09 season and saw a gradual increase in his role with the team with every passing season.

After having played a total of 454 games with the team, Perk was shipped to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2010-11 season.

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#1 Ray Allen(2007-2012)

Ray Allen attended the University of Connecticut

The Minnesota Timberwolves drafted Ray Allen in the 1996 NBA draft and played his first eleven seasons with the T-Wolves and Supersonics. He joined the Celtics for the 2007-08 season, the year Boston won its first NBA title of the 21st century and eventually became one of the best shooters the game had ever seen.

He is NBA's all-time leader in three-pointers made with a mammoth total of 2,612 to his name. During his five seasons with the Celtics, he was named an All-Star three times.

He was eventually traded to the Miami Heat where he helped LeBron win another title in 2013.

#2 Rajon Rondo (2006-2014)

Rajon Rondo plays as a backup point guard for the Lakers currently.

Rondo was drafted by the Suns in the 2006 draft and traded to the Celtics immediately. In around eight seasons playing for Boston, Rondo averaged as high 14 points per game in the 2012-13 season as their starting point guard.

His career-high 2.3 steals per game (league-leading) came in 2009-10 when he was named an All-Star for the very first time. The only four All-Star appearances he has bagged so far in his career were when he was a member of the Celtics squad.

Moreover, he averaged a double-double of points and assists in his last four seasons in Boston, before being shipped to Dallas, followed by Sacramento and a host of other cities.

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#3 Kyrie Irving(2017-present)

Kyrie Irving is arguably the best ball-handler in the league right now.

Kyrie was having a career-season in Cleveland when he decided to jump ship and join the Celtics. Injuries restricted him to just 60 games in his very first year in Boston, though the team managed to get to the ECF without his services.

In his return, Kyrie is putting together All-Star numbers yet again and leading his team from the front. Now a 6-time All-Star, Uncle Drew is growing as a player with every passing season and is counted amongst some of the best point guards in the game ever.

#4 Kevin Garnett (2007-2013)

Kevin Garnett was drafted out of high school by the T-Wolves.

After spending 12 seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Garnett joined the Boston Celtics in 2007 and helped them win a title that very year. A 15-time All-Star when he retired in 2016, KG was one of the most aggressive and headstrong players on the court.

In over 268 games played wearing a Boston uniform, Kevin averaged 16 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1.2 steals and 1 block per game. He is one of the very few to be able to average a double-double of points and rebounds over a 20-year long career.

He was already a 10-time All-Star and 2004 regular season MVP even before joining the Celtics.

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#5 Paul Pierce (1998-2013)

Paul Pierce led the Celtics to their 2008 NBA title.

Selected as the 10th overall pick by the Celtics in the 1998 NBA draft, Paul "The Truth" Pierce played his first 15 seasons in Boston. He won the 2007-08 Finals MVP aiding the franchise to its record 17th NBA Championship.

He played a total of 1,102 games(third most in the franchise) for the Boston Celtics still leading the franchise in steals(1583). He averaged 21.8 points per game during his time with the Celts, having played the third-most minutes(40, 360) for the organization after Bill Russell and John Havlicek.