But when it came time to determine where he should go, Antonio McDyess said loyalty was the main reason he returned to Detroit, as the Pistons were one of the few teams that offered him a contract (four years, $23 million) five years ago, when most had given up on him after he suffered knee injuries.

"After I got injured, my name wasn't said or mentioned," said McDyess. "[Pistons president of Basketball operations] Joe [Dumars] gave me an opportunity to revamp my career. My career was at the bottom and this man offered me a contract at the midlevel exception even though I had done nothing for two years.

"Boston and Cleveland showed interest. [Celtics president] Danny Ainge was there. There will always be a bond with me and [those teams] and Detroit. But I was at the bottom and [the Pistons] offered me this? I owed them. If they wanted me back, I'm back."

McDyess arrived in Detroit for the 2004-05 season, after the Pistons won the 2004 championship. The Pistons haven't won an NBA title since, despite being in the Eastern Conference finals each year, and only returned to the NBA Finals in 2005.

McDyess, guard Chauncey Billups, and center Cheikh Samb were sent to Denver by the Pistons Nov. 3 in exchange for guard Allen Iverson. After two previous stints with the Nuggets, the 34-year-old McDyess had no interest in returning to Denver and asked for a buyout of the nearly $15 million remaining on his contract. The Nuggets obliged Nov. 12, paying McDyess $3.2 million this season and $2.8 million next season. While the Nuggets saved millions, keeping McDyess might have made them a title contender.

While nearly 20 teams inquired about his services, McDyess said he was only seriously interested in Boston, the Lakers, Cleveland, Charlotte, and Detroit. McDyess said he received calls from Ainge, who coached him in Phoenix, and Sam Cassell. While the Celtics, Lakers, and Cavaliers are considered the three front-runners to win the NBA championship, McDyess didn't want to "chase a ring," and has no regrets returning to the inconsistent Pistons. The Celtics play the Pistons for the first time since McDyess's return Friday in Detroit.

"I have no regrets," said McDyess, who re-signed with the Pistons Dec. 9. "Just by getting to the NBA I accomplished more than enough for me. I've played on good teams. I've had great teammates. I can free my mind without a championship. It could have been better, it could have been worse. I didn't want to feel like I was chasing a ring.

"It's about winning a championship and being comfortable where I'm at. One year and I'm done [on a new team]? I didn't want to chase a ring. I'm comfortable, and that is not to say we don't have a chance to win it. Anything can happen in the playoffs. I'm just comfortable where I'm at now."

There were reports out of Detroit that McDyess didn't want to come to Boston because of a near fight with Kevin Garnett during a game two years ago when Garnett was playing for the Timberwolves. McDyess scoffed at that notion.

"That's far from the case," McDyess said. "That's squashed. Everything that happened was Basketball-related and has been squashed. I love KG as a player and a person. Why wouldn't I go there to play with him? He's the best power forward in the game. A Hall of Famer. When things happened two years ago, it was all about Basketball. You don't take that home with you."

McDyess is being paid $600,532 by the Pistons for the remainder of this season, and will be an unrestricted free agent this summer. While the 6-foot-9-inch, 245-pounder is expected to re-sign with Detroit, he acknowledged he would listen if the Celtics showed interest.

"Would I listen?" he said. "That's a no-brainer. Oh, yeah."

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