Legendary Boston Celtics vet James Posey very nearly joined another ball club ahead of the season he signed with the Celtics to help get the Ubuntu-era squad across the finish line to win Banner 17. Had that happened, who knows what might have gone down with the "New Big Three" of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen that fateful year.

We know this because Posey himself broke it down in an interview where he revealed that Banner 17 teammate and current Boston broadcaster Eddie House was actually instrumental in getting the Xavier alum into a green and white uniform. "Boston almost didn't even happen, though – for real," said Posey. "That summer I was up and everything, and I didn’t know where I really wanted to go for the most part."

"So I was mad because the market was drying (up) and everything, so it was only just some little change out there for the most part," he added. "And I was mad. I was like, you know what? I called my agent. It was that Saturday. I said, man, I'm just (going to) go to (the (then) New Jersey (now, Brooklyn) Nets), because all I could think about (was) trying to get my next contract, right?"

Suggesting that a number of high-profile potential teammates might be enough to get him a larger contract, the Ohio native decided to sign with the Nets, and told his agent as much. "Then, Eddie House. I ain't know E-House at all," Posey said. "Whatever."

"Just from afar, whatever. And he had already signed there and he was like, 'Man, listen. I already been here, been working out, whatever.' He said, 'Man, listen. I know you don't know me, whatever. This is our first conversation, but like if you come here, we going to win!' He said, 'I know how you play,' or whatever. He said, 'Man, if you come here, man, we're going to win, man. I'm here, dog.' I'm trying to tell you, you know, how E-House talks. And so, by Sunday, I called (my agent) back. I said, 'Man, I'm going to go to Boston.' And he said, 'You know what? Sleep on it again.' Because ... Saturday, I already told him I was going to Jersey. Sunday, I told him like, 'All right, I'm going to go to Boston. He said, 'Sleep on it.' Woke up Monday, I'm going to Boston. Then ever since then, I was just locked in. I wasn't thinking about nothing else but winning. Like E-House had talked about. And when I got there, (expletive) was business, man. Like I said, not even knowing E-House for him to call me or whatever."

"I don't even know how he got my number, but he called me," recalled Posey. "So, I end up signing there."