Garnett and ubuntu could help Celtics to another title run

It was roughly 700 days ago when we, as followers of the Boston Celtics, first heard the term “ubuntu,” a word with origins in South Africa that became the rallying cry for the eventual world champion 2008 Boston Celtics. In its purest sense, ubuntu is the humanistic experience of treating all people with respect and granting them their human dignity. In hindsight, ubuntu may have been the main ingredient in the unshakeable confidence, work ethic and humility that defined the Green.Not surprisingly, it was a clear lack of ubuntu that may have doomed last year’s Celtics squad from the start. Now, a few months removed from last year’s playoff exit, head coach Doc Rivers can see where things began to go wrong.”Last year, there were so many other things going on – you know, contracts, fanfare, all that,” Rivers said. “I think especially with the young guys, admiration is a difficult beast to deal with. How you handle that on a day-to-day basis is very challenging.”Rivers added, “Guys were looking out for their own situations more than the team situation. That came through all year. It was never anything really big, but it was there all year.”Therein lies the beauty of sports; the ability to clear the slate and begin anew having (fans hope) learned from both the successes and failures of the past.While it is all well and good that the Celtics seem to have a renewed team focus, the key to another championship run clearly rests on the surgically-repaired knee of 33-year-old star Kevin Garnett. With no clear diagnosis of exactly what was wrong with the knee, there still seems to be a shroud of secrecy surrounding the entire Garnett injury ordeal. Some have speculated (Bill Simmons) that the injury was in fact much worse than the Celtics have let on.Regardless, Garnett said it is all systems go, adding, “I don’t have knee problems.” He also said, “I have zero knee pain, but my calf hurts and my shins hurt. Shin splints are from not playing. If I were hurting, I would tell you. I’m pretty straight up with everything going on, and I feel good.”In life, as well as in sports, sometimes you simply need to lose what you once had to truly appreciate it. Some people can spend a lifetime trying to achieve the highs that they once felt. The Celtics now find themselves in that position; a year older, a year wiser, a year to regain their signature humility and love of ubuntu. However, the most important thing the Boston Celtics will try to regain from their championship season is their healthy first-ballot future Hall of Fame power forward.