Kevin Garnett earned respect and popularity by displaying his signature emotion with on-court chest pounds and vocal motivation. It’s the type of intensity Boston lacked since its glory days in the ’80s — such success that Garnett irked his entire career to achieve, and literally hung over his head at the New Garden.

Tonight, KG uncorked years of frustration in an emotionally-charged immediate post-game reaction. While many of today’s modern-day on-court celebration interviews fail to capture the true excitement of a championship, ESPN painted the perfect picture with KG.

Simply put: Raw tears of joy. Innocent feel-good emotions. The beauty of live television. By far, the most passionate in history.

And here’s your first Celtics tribute: