The city of Boston has always valued its players who may lack a superstar's skill set but are not short in hard work and determination.
Leon Powe was that athlete.
The undersized forward, in his three seasons in Boston, blossomed into a legitimate offensive player in the NBA. His signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers, one of the Celtics' biggest rivals in the East, was not what anyone had in mind — including Powe himself.
“I thought I did everything I could to prove to them that I am loyal and a hard worker,’’ Powe told The Boston Globe. “And it didn’t work out. … It’s always tough to leave a team or a place. The fans grow on you, your teammates grow on you, and I will miss that.’’
Powe's departure from the Celtics was surprising. Though he was forced to undergo a third major surgery on his left knee, given his history with the team and his compelling life story, it seemed as though he was a lock to return to the Celtics next season.
The organization was never hesitant to throw praise on the 25-year-old from Oakland, who overcame a difficult childhood to become a standout at Cal before joining the Celtics.
Powe believes the injury was probably the biggest factor in the team's decision to let him go. The C's signed free-agent forward Shelden Williams in early August after the team opted not to offer Powe a contract.
“I knew they were done with me then,” Powe told The Boston Herald. “But I’m not mad at nobody. I’m just going to do as always — play as hard as I can. I guess they just felt that they needed someone available for the full year.”
Powe won't be available to play until February at the earliest.
Danny Ainge, Celtics GM and president of basketball operations, told the Herald that the team offered Powe a two-year contract at the veteran's minimum (the same deal he ultimately accepted from Cleveland) with a team option for the second year, but that Powe turned it down. The team then did not offer a one-year deal.
“Unfortunately, the way things turned out, Leon took it to mean that we didn’t want him back, and that wasn’t necessarily the case,” Ainge told the Herald. “Though we didn’t extend him the qualifying offer, we did talk to him about coming back. I told Leon from the beginning that what happened is what I thought would happen — that he’d get a two-year contract with a team option.
“But I want everyone to know that I love Leon and wish him the best,” Ainge said. “I hope he does well. We’re all better for having known Leon.”
Powe said that he pleaded his case to Celtics coach Doc Rivers, but that wasn't enough to remain a Celtic.
“I called [Rivers] and asked him what he was going to do” Powe told the Herald. “He said he would try to convince them to keep me here for at least another year. He said he would do everything in his power, and I believed him. After that, I missed his call, I missed him with my call, and I didn’t talk to him again. I was a little surprised at what happened, because I thought he would take care of me, but Danny was pretty clear about what they were going to do.”
Though Powe won't be ready to play on opening night when the Cavs host the Celtics, there's a chance he could be playing by Feb. 25. That's the night the Cavs travel to Boston for a nationally televised matchup with his old team.
The last time he stood on the Garden floor, he was proving just how gutsy he was by continuing to play for three minutes after tearing his ACL and meniscus. Nobody knew at the time the severity of the injury, and nobody knew it would be his final moment in a Boston uniform.
He's been given a contract, but this time around when he visits the Garden, he'll be given what he deserves — a proper goodbye from the loyal Garden crowd.
