Paul Pierce nearly left the Boston Celtics following the 2006-07 season.
But then-general manager Danny Ainge kept Pierce around and added Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to form a "Big Three" that would go on to win the 2008 NBA championship.
The title cemented Pierce as a Celtics legend, and 12 years later, "The Truth" is on the doorstep of NBA immortality after being nominated for the 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame class.
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As you'd expect, Ainge was quick to show Pierce love Tuesday on Twitter after his nomination.
Pierce learned of his nomination live on ESPN's "The Jump" and had a great reaction to the exciting news.
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The 10-time All-Star spent 15 seasons in Boston before Ainge traded him and Garnett to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013. He helped carry the Celtics out of the dark years of the early 2000s to become a perennial title contender, and his No. 34 was retired to the TD Garden rafters in 2018.
Pierce's name is synonymous with the Celtics (thanks in part to Ainge), and there's a good chance he becomes the 35th member of the franchise to join the Hall of Fame next year.