It was just about 7 p.m. on Nov. 2 when we caught our first glimpse of the new Boston Celtics.

Kevin Garnett ushered in a fresh professional basketball era in Beantown when an oversized version of his head greeted the Garden crowd with a simple scream.

Just seconds after witnessing it on the sports department's 15-inch TV/VCR combo I sent the following text message to a friend who I knew was watching:

I smell a championship.

Of course, I was joking.

I knew the yell was a message of hunger, passion and intensity. Only in my wildest dreams did I think it screamed championship as well.

All that really mattered was that Garnett and Ray Allen were joining Paul Pierce to become the best trio of teammates in the NBA, and basketball was relevant here again.

Then, with each passing game that text message seemed to become less of a joke.