How a trip to Europe helped the Celtics win the 2008 Championship - "We went over to Rome, and that was the best thing that happened to us"

The Boston Celtics have always been a landmark organization in the NBA. However, they struggled for two decades, from 1986 to 2007. A lot changed during the 2007 offseason when the team went all in and traded for Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen .

It was a monumental move from Boston because they immediately became a championship contender. Paul Pierce was already on the team, but getting two more All-Star players took the 24-58 record from the 2006/07 season to a 66-16 record the following year. However, the players credit their training camp in Europe as a big reason why they succeeded.

"We went over to Rome, and that was the best thing that happened to us because we weren't in the States. We were all alone trying to figure out each other, and we just naturally bonded," Garnett said about the training camp in Europe. "We embraced each other to the point where who cares about what these critics say? As long as we stick together, as long as we stay together, and know what the goal is, we can do anything if we put our minds to it."

The Celtics embarked on a magical season

Many people talk about struggles to build chemistry when building a superteam like the Big 3 Celtics. The most recent example in 2008 was the 2003/04 Los Angeles Lakers, who signed aging stars Gary Payton and Karl Malone . While C's had some of the biggest names in the league, they failed because they were not good enough when they made it to the NBA Finals.

That was not the case for the Celtics because they were superb throughout the regular season. This continued into their postseason run, as Boston finally ended its 22-year drought without a championship.

Since the C's were the NBA's most successful franchise, winning after that kind of drought was cathartic for the team, especially for the Big 3, who were all getting older without a title.

The Big 3 played all their roles to perfection

Garnett, Allen, and Pierce playing together was a phenomenal decision from the Celtics front office. They all fulfilled their roles within the team, with Ray-Ray as the go-to off-ball shooter, KG as the defensive anchor, and Pierce as the reliable go-to guy, retaining his role in Boston .

It was a recipe for success because they were superb in the regular season. However, they faced plenty of struggles during the Playoffs, as they had to play two seven-game series against the Atlanta Hawks and a LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers. They beat the Detroit Pistons in the Conference Finals before defeating the fierce rivals, the LA Lakers.

Everyone on the Celtics roster played their roles to perfection. The Big 3 were the stars, while Rajon Rondo showcased promising playmaking, Kendrick Perkins played well as the big body in the paint, and many others. It was a classic Boston championship, but unfortunately, that was the only title they won after the Lakers got their payback in 2010.

Related: Kevin Garnett reveals how he managed his intense personality: "I heard Kenny G. as a snake charmer"