The Brooklyn Nets introduced Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry to the media on Thursday. Along with discussing the team's championship aspirations, Pierce admitted he was still stunned over the trade, ESPN reported.
"Obviously I would've loved to have finished my career in Boston, but that day and age is finally over with. My ultimate drive is winning a championship," Pierce told reporters, according to ESPN.
Pierce added: "It hasn't really sunk in. I think it is really starting to sink in as we speak. I saw my jersey up in the locker room. [When] you saw the trade, it's like, 'OK, there is a trade.' But for me to actually be here, looking for a place to live, being in this arena, trying to get to know my way around the city, it is really starting to sink in now that it has become real.
"I am no longer a Boston Celtic, I'm a Brooklyn Net, that is what it is right now. At some point I have to move on. I am here trying to create some kind of legacy here in Brooklyn."
Brooklyn wagered a lot on Pierce and Garnett being the missing pieces for a championship run, including three future first-round draft picks. The team is way over the salary cap and could owe as much as $83 million in luxury taxes.
The organization did everything it can to make Brooklyn a championship contender, and Garnett knows it's now up to the players.
"For this team to win, everybody is going to have to sacrifice to win games," Garnett said. "Defense is going to have to be a priority. You are going to have to do some things that you don't necessarily want to do or are comfortable doing.
"To me, those are the things that can make a difference in winning teams and teams that are not winning."
There will be lofty expectations for the Nets, which is expected to start Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Pierce, Garnett and Brook Lopez. With a small window to win, anything less than a championship would be a bust.
