Thanks For The Memories, Eddie...

Somewhat lost in all of the hoopla of the trade deadline and the arrival of Nate Robinson is the fact that Eddie House is no longer a member of the Boston Celtics.  Eddie is perhaps rightfully criticized as a one-dimensional player, but he'll always have a special place in my heart as one of the key players on the 2008 championship team.  Obviously, it was the acquisitions of KG and Ray that were most responsible for that team's turnaround, but the excellent job Danny did in building a bench has to be given due credit, as well.  We've seen the members of that bench unit depart one by one, first P.J., then Posey, Sam, Powe...  and now Eddie.

For three seasons, Danny tried to upgrade Eddie's position, bringing in Cassell and Starbury, and now Nate.  The logic is easy to understand in one regard; Eddie isn't much more than a shooter and a hustle player.  However, it's easy to forget just how good Eddie was at filling the role he was given.  Last season, he set a Celtics' record in three point percentage, and he followed that up by shooting an amazing 48.6% from three in the playoffs last year.  Perhaps even more importantly, he always hustled on both ends, and was the first player to cheer on his teammates.  He'll be missed.

In closing, I'll turn to Danny Ainge, who summed up the feelings of many Celtics fans nicely:

"It is tough to see Eddie go," said Ainge. "He was one of my favorite players to watch and he was a key element in winning the 2008 championship and a tremendous presence in the locker room along with his son Jaelen."

Goodbye, Eddie.  Best of luck in New York.  We can only hope that your replacement plays with the same passion and has the same impact that you did.