Before teaming up with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the only All-Star Paul Pierce had played with for the Boston Celtics was Antoine Walker.
Ahead of Garnett's jersey retirement ceremony on Sunday following Boston's game against the Dallas Mavericks, Celtics from all eras have been descending on TD Garden, including Walker. As part of a panel discussion, Pierce and Walker reflected on what it was like not only playing together, but what it takes to become a great dynamic duo in the NBA -- lessons which may be applicable to the modern day Celtics with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
"To be a great dynamic duo... the second guy has to sacrifice," Pierce said. "You both could probably be the guy. The second guy has to sacrifice. For instance, Kobe has to sacrifice for Shaq, even though he probably could've been the No. 1."
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Like Brown and Tatum, Pierce and Walker were both lottery picks drafted close together. Walker was the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, Pierce the 10th pick in 1998.
As the older player, it was difficult for Walker to accept that Pierce was the superior scorer. But once they figured it out, the Celtics of the early aughts were able to string together back-to-back playoff appearances with Pierce and Walker following an unthinkable six-year absence.
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"It was a huge thing that I had to accept that Paul was a better scorer than me," Walker said. "[Then-Celtics coach] Jim O'Brien, I've gotta give him a lot of credit, he did a lot of great things offensively for us to be able to share the basketball and make it work."
Pierce and Walker made it as far as one conference finals together in 2002, losing to the New Jersey Nets of Jason Kidd in six games. A season later, following a loss in the conference semifinals, Danny Ainge dealt Walker away to the Dallas Mavericks.
Ainge continued to tinker with the roster -- even reacquiring Walker for the playoff run in 2005 -- before bringing in Garnett and Allen in 2007.
Though Walker wasn't with the Celtics for their 2008 title, he did earn a ring in the NBA with the Miami Heat in 2006.