In just 14 minutes and 39 seconds of Game 2 of the 2008 NBA Finals, Leon Powe tipped the balance in the Celtics’ favor. He was far from a central figure in Boston’s lineup, and definitely not a member of the “Big Three.” But in the limited minutes given to a second-year bench player, Powe erupted for 21 crucial points as Boston won, 108-102.

It’s an effort that endeared him to Celtics fans for years afterward, as the team went on to win its 17th title in six games. Now retired, Powe is working for the Celtics in a front office capacity as a team ambassador. He reflected on his famous Game 2, as well as several other topics in a recent interview.


This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.

What was the reaction both from the Celtics and the city of Boston when you guys knew it was the Lakers in the [2008] Finals?

LP: My thought was about, ‘Man, we could end up facing the Lakers if we get there [the Finals]. And we took care of business, and the Lakers took care of business. Then there it is, we’re matched up against Kobe and the Lakers. It was exciting times. The city was buzzing. It renewed that rivalry from back in the day with Magic-Bird. They were playing those classic games over and over on TV, on NBA TV, it was everywhere. That’s all they were talking about, comparing this to that. Rivalry renewed. A lot of buzz around the city and the NBA as well. That matchup was fun. I was hyped. I knew we had a lot to prove. It was our first year with all of us being together, especially our big three. We wanted to show the world that it wasn’t a fluke that we got there. We wanted to play ball and try to win that championship for the city.


You famously had a phenomenal Game 2. Going into that game, did you have any inkling in the shootaround or just beforehand that you were feeling particularly good? Walk us through how that played out.

LP: Okay, here’s how that played out. The series before that, in the Eastern Conference Finals, ESPN called me about running a story about me. They said they wanted to run it during the Finals. They asked me that just in case we lost before that, should they run it earlier? We had a couple Game 7s. So they asked if they should run it. I told ESPN, ‘No, don’t run that story.’ Because we were going to the Finals. We were going to get it together and we were going to be in the Finals. So when we actually got there, we won Game 1. I had a good feeling about Game 2. Coach [Doc Rivers] always told everybody to stay ready, because it’s all about matchups. That’s how he coaches. So everybody needed to be ready until your number is called upon. So that morning, I had my Frosted Flakes — my lucky Flakes — in the morning. I was feeling good. I got to the arena and was feeling extra good because everybody was saying hi and waving. I had done that normally, but it was a different feeling, like everybody knew something was going down that game. But I just felt good, and thought, ‘Okay, this might be the day. This might be it!’


I didn’t know when the story was going to run, but I knew it was one of these games. So I just got my mind prepared and ready to go. And then pretty soon he [Doc Rivers] called on me. I think it was early that he called on me, and sent me to the scorers table. I had a lot of adrenaline going. I’d played in a lot of big games, and it really didn’t faze me at first. But when I got out there, I tried to run on the court and the refs told me to hold up, because I needed to wait a couple more plays. And in that moment, I sat back and looked around. I saw so many cameras. Lights, cameras, everything. I just took it all in. Like, man, I’m really about to be in a Finals game. This is what you work hard for all your life. You’re meant to be here. I was getting some anxiety, because I was ready but thinking, ‘I can’t mess up!’ But then I just said, ‘Don’t tell yourself that, just go out and play your game, and do everything with force.’ And that’s what I did when I got out there.

Also, the ESPN story ran that day. So it really worked out. I’m telling you, it was my lucky Flakes.

Powe sprints past an agitated Lakers head coach Phil Jackson after hitting one of his many fourth quarter baskets. —Jim Davis/Globe Staff

In the aftermath of that game, Phil Jackson mispronounced your last name. How quickly did you find out about that, and what was your reaction?

LP: I found out right away. I had a million text messages. ‘Phil Jackson messed up your name! Phil Jackson did this, or that!’ I said Phil Jackson knows my name, but I did shoot more free throws than his whole team. So that’s really what he was mad at, that I shot more free throws. But I told everybody, Phil Jackson knew what he was doing. The Zen Master, he knew what he was doing. He was trying to get into my head. Trying to downplay my good game by distracting them and mispronouncing my name. It was funny.

In Game 4, you guys rallied from a huge deficit to win and take control of the series. Is there a moment from that comeback that you remember specifically?

LP: It was Game 4 and we were down by like 24 in L.A. I played a little bit and I was in the game. We were making our run, and coming back. I was playing good defense during the comeback. We were hitting 3s, and the score was like a four-point game with not that much time left on the clock in the fourth quarter. Coach calls a timeout. It’s me, KG, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and I think it was James Posey out there. That was the five. Coach called a timeout and drew up a play. He said, ‘We need to score here because it’s a four-point game and we’re running out of time.’ I was thinking, ‘Okay coach, what you want me to do? You want me to go to the side and clear out for Paul Pierce or clear out for KG, or set a pick?’

Coach said, ‘No, I don’t want you to do none of that.’ And everyone’s asking, ‘Well, coach, what do you want?’ He looks at us and say, ‘We’ll have a clear out for Leon.’ Everybody was like, ‘…what? Hold on coach, what did you say?’ And he just said, ‘A clear out for Leon. You heard me. You know why? I believe in him, and we got the mismatch. He got Lamar Odom on him.’

So after we brought it in for the huddle and then I took two steps on the court and KG and all those vets were saying, ‘Hey, you better not miss this shot. This is crucial.’ So I’m thinking that that’s kind of messed up what you’re saying to a young guy trying to get a bucket. I was just trying to think about what I was going to do. I finally decided on like a baby hook shot. I get into the lane against Lamar Odom, went to the hook and I didn’t know if it was going in or not to tell you the truth. I was thinking, ‘Uh oh, this could be it for me. If it don’t go in, I’m not playing at all. I might be traded!’ [Laughs] I was a young guy, so that was how I was thinking sometimes. It went off the backboard, and went it. So we were only down by two now. We ended up getting the stop and Ray Allen put the game away from there.

You were a second round pick who still made the team. How did you react on draft night, especially after you learned that the Celtics had traded for you?

LP: I approached it just like I approached any other day before I got drafted. I was always a workaholic. I worked hard as heck and worked for everything I got. I don’t believe in taking any days off or rest or anything. I actually believed that I was going to be a first round pick because I was one of only two or three guys in college basketball averaging 20 (points) and 10 (rebounds), but they started saying a couple things about my health and seeing if I was healthy and all that. I thought I was [healthy], and I played pretty well in workouts. So when I got drafted second round, I was really mad. And I was upset, but not with anyone specifically. I was just upset because I thought i was supposed to be a first rounder.

My mentor, my brother always used to tell me, ‘You’re going to be a Celtic.’ I told him I didn’t think he knew what he was talking about. And when I got traded on draft night to the Celtics, he looked at me like, ‘I do know what I’m talking about.’

Wait, he knew you would be drafted by the Celtics? How?

LP: He always told me that I was going to be a Celtics when me and him started to work together and he decided to push me through school and workouts and get me to the right people and all that. He said I’d be a Celtic from day one. I didn’t believe him. How he knew that, I have no clue. But he said that from when I was in the 9th grade. He used to always to say that. Then on draft night, I got taken by the Nuggets and looked and said, ‘See!’ And I walked three steps about to go to the bedroom and then I heard a trade had been announced, Leon Powe has been traded to the Boston Celtics. He looked at me and I looked back slowly like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I was looking at him like can he tell the future or something?

Many second round picks don’t make the team. How did you approach making an NBA roster?

LP: I had a mentality that I’m from Oakland, California. Everybody knows that. We have a workman’s mentality. Bring your hardhat, no complaints. And that’s what I did. I worked extremely hard. I went at every single person that was trying to be on my level or had a guaranteed spot. I went at all of them. I made the team, but it got so bad that coach called me into the office. He said, ‘Leon, you can quit going so hard at everybody because you’ve got a job. We are not getting rid of you. So can you leave people alone in practice?’

I heard it from them first of all because you know how the shootaround is supposed to be a walk-through? It wasn’t a walk-through for me. No. I’m blocking shots, I’m dunking, I’m doing all types of stuff during shootaround. And when you’re supposed to emulate the other team in walk-throughs, I’m going through scoring buckets. So the coaches called me in, but then the players all huddled me up and were like, ‘Leon, the shootarounds, you’re on the team! You can relax! Leave us alone, we don’t want to be in your way.’ So that’s when I knew I made the team. But that’s how I was taught: to go hard regardless. You want to leave it all out there and that’s what I did.

And now you’ve moved to the front office. What’s your current role with the Celtics?

LP: Right now I do a lot of work in the community. I talk to Danny [Ainge] on and off about different players here and there. Last year, we discussed Jaylen Brown and we eventually drafted him, which was good. It’s fun. I get to help some of the young guys in our team. They know I can go in there and lend a hand if they need me to. I try to just tell the guys what I see, or who I like, especially if it’s Danny or other front office personnel. But I do a lot of community stuff. I’m one of the team ambassadors, and consultants for the team, so whatever they need me to do, that’s what I do. I really want to learn the ways of how Danny and the front office operates. That’s what I’m trying to learn right now. I know what type of players I like and I’m just making sure I have a feel of what type of players they like, and I think I do. But we discuss a lot of different players, which is good. I’m just always trying to help and give back.

As someone who played with LeBron at multiple levels, do you think the Cavs have another comeback in them?

Leon Powe: Well, a lot of people wanted to see that matchup. Me, you know, I wanted to see the Celtics in there, but everybody wanted to see Warriors-Cavs. Both teams have so much to play for. The first time they met, LeBron didn’t have his whole crew. Then the next year, Steph and them was a little banged up. And they lost Bogut, so they wanted to see a rubber match. My thoughts on it is that the Warriors added Kevin Durant into the mix, and the dude is basically un-guardable. When you add someone like that, you free up Steph Curry. You can’t double him now. If you do, you leave Durant open for a pick-and-roll. You can’t do anything about it. And it’s showing in the Finals right now.

And the Finals matchup is once again a clash of “super teams.” Do you have any thoughts at all on whether the concept of a “super team” is good for the NBA at all? You were part of arguably the first modern one with the 2007-2008 Celtics.

LP: Everybody resorts back to us, what we did for having Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. But right now I think it’s okay. The way the Warriors did it was that they built up their team through draft picks. Draymond, Klay and Steph were all drafted to that team. That organization built them up. A crazy thing that happened simultaneously was that the cap went up, and then they had a favorable contract with Steph Curry. So then they were able to lock up Draymond and Klay for a number of years to come. Everything had to click for them to get Durant, and then him deciding to go there just took their super team to another level.