Celtics to retire Garnett’s jersey on March 13

Kevin Garnett will become the 24th player in Boston Celtics history to have his jersey retired on March 13, when Boston will host the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC.

Garnett, who won the 2008 title with the Celtics, spent six seasons of his Hall of Fame career in Boston. His acquisition via trade in 2007 — along with Ray Allen — saw the Celtics form a Big 3 alongside fellow Hall of Famer Paul Pierce. They led the Celtics to that 2008 title and back to the NBA Finals again in 2010, when the Celtics lost in seven games to the Los Angeles Lakers.

Boston had originally made a surprise announcement at halftime of a game between the Celtics and LA Clippers in Boston on Feb. 13, 2020 that Garnett’s No. 5 jersey would be retired at a later date.

“I’m honored and thankful to have my number retired with the Celtics,” Garnett said in a statement at the time. “I will always have immense respect and appreciation for ownership, Danny Ainge, Doc Rivers, my past teammates and Celtic Nation!”

However, with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic shutting down the NBA a month later, and causing virtually all of last season to be played without fans, there never was an opportunity to celebrate Garnett in Boston the way the Celtics would want to — with TD Garden packed with celebrating fans.

Now, though, that opportunity will come in March, and with a twist, as Garnett’s former coach with the Brooklyn Nets, Jason Kidd, is now coaching in Dallas after being hired earlier this offseason.

Garnett was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame alongside Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan in the Class of 2020, and will be Pierce’s presenter when he is inducted later this year.