Kendrick Perkins returned to TD Garden on Monday night for the first time since being traded to Oklahoma City last February. And the former C's center received a very warm welcome from the Celtics and their fans.
A montage of Perkins was shown on the Garden Jumbotron, which drew a loud ovation from the Celtic faithful. The montage ended with a message reading, "Thank you Perk," during which the longtime Celtic acknowledged the appreciative crowd.
Perkins, of course, played seven-plus seasons with the Celtics and proved to be a key component of the team's success, particularly its championship in 2008. In fact, some believe that had Perkins not been forced to sit out Game 7 of the 2010 NBA Finals against the Lakers because of a knee injury, the team would've held on to capture banner No. 18.
Either way, Perkins became a leader and a fan favorite during his Boston tenure, so Monday's love affair was no surprise. As Doc Rivers noted this past weekend, Perk is a "Celtic for life."
Check out the montage and standing ovation in the video below, courtesy of ESPN.com's Chris Forsberg.
