I just thought I'd get a little sentimental in this forum.
I lived the first 30 years of life in Massachusetts. I have been a Celtics fan since 2000. Watching Al jefferson get drafted, reacting to (read: buying into) the hype the C's put in to him (and the entire "youth movement") was a fantastic learning experience for me, especially since Boston had taught me to root for the underdog, even if they always come up short. (I wasn't watching in 86.) I remember watching AlJeff come off the bench in limited minutes during his rookie year and being very impressed with the instinctual movements we all marvel at today, even in their most raw and unpolished form. I remember going to a Pacervsceltics playoff game in 05 (blowout in favor of the c's) and hearing the crowd's murmurs grow to a subtle roar when al got position in the post and called for the ball. Everyone wanted him to get fed.
I got very atttached.
Seeing him traded for KG was hard. I knew the Celtics would be better off, but I was going to miss this kid, the only rookie I ever cared about and connected with on the level of a homer fan. Delonte West was close, but he was more personality than game. Anyway, and this is all with the admittance that I was proud to be a celtics fan last year (and before and after...it was amazing to watch last year.
That being said, tonight, as KG returns to your (our) homecourt, I am grateful that I have decided to follow BigAl to his own homecourt. I am a wolves fan, and here, in the heart of the I Heart KG forum, and with the same sentiment (albeit slightly different in terms of stats and such), in a place where one can openly pine for a player you cannot help but love even if the team colors he wear are no longer your own, I openly and proudly reaffirm:
I HEART AL JEFFERSON.
Welcome home, me.