I was going to do an article about my thoughts on my favourite basketball team, the Boston Celtics, going into the 2017-2018 season because they look to be in stronger contention than last year going up against the Cavs. Then I thought to myself, why are the Celtics my favourite team ??
That's when I figured that doing a piece on the guy who made me a fan of the team on the year that they will be raising his #34 jersey into the rafters of the TD Garden was the best direction to go. That man is "The Truth" Paul Pierce.
That's when I figured that doing a piece on the guy who made me a fan of the team on the year that they will be raising his #34 jersey into the rafters of the TD Garden was the best direction to go. That man is "The Truth" Paul Pierce.
Most people who say there was a person who made them a Celtics fan usually goes back to the days of Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, Danny Ainge, and Robert Parish. Or the glory days of the legend of all Celtics: Bill Russell. A Celtics team that did consist of different members during those old days but they were part of the reason the team was considered a dynasty and a powerhouse in the NBA. A rivalry between Bird and Johnson or Bird and a young Jordan that transcended basketball at the time. For me that wasn't the case, I was born in the late 80's so I grew up during the 1990's, and I was big into sports but even though I loved players like Shaquille O'Neal, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Mugsey Bouges the man I loved most was the leader of the Chicago Bulls: Michael Jordan. I loved the Bulls: Jordan, Pippen, Rodman, Kukoc, Kerr, and more. It just so happened they were the 90's equivalent to being a Golden State Warriors or Cleveland Cavaliers/Miami Heat fan now just following the best guy in basketball around. I didn't know that then, I didn't care, I just liked them. Then Jordan retired and not his baseball retired, like actually did, then returned to play with the Washington Wizards, Pippen went to the Trail Blazers, Rodman went to the Lakers, and everyone else scattered. My team was done and I had no real basketball team anymore, while a true die-hard would stay a Bulls fan, I was more of a casual basketball guy because football was always my thing.
Then this one really young, talented, player drew me to the Boston Celtics: Paul Pierce.
Then this one really young, talented, player drew me to the Boston Celtics: Paul Pierce.
Pierce dragged me towards the Celtics before the days of the Big 3, he pulled me towards the team with his charismatic play, his leadership, and moves on the court. I was a Celtics fan and shortly afterwards they pulled a few other players I liked: Kevin Garnett of the Timberwolves and Ray Allen of the Seattle SuperSonics to make the "Big 3" of that time. This was before LeBron James "took his talent to South Beach" along with Chris Bosh to team up with Dwayne Wade and dominate the NBA. No, this was a Boston Celtics team led by Paul Pierce with talent like Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, and more behind him. One that finally made it to and captured the NBA Championship in 2007-2008 season overcoming their long-time rival Los Angeles Lakers and brought a title to Boston for the first time since the Larry Bird-era Celtics. Also seeing Pierce win the Finals MVP to go along with his much deserved NBA Championship was like icing on the cake.
Pierce was a guy I thought was going to do what very few players do in the NBA, retire with the team that brought him into the league, but all that changed for the 2013-2014 season when Danny Ainge (a Celtic legend of all people) sent the Celtic all-star (and future Hall of Famer) along with Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry, and draft picks to the Brooklyn Nets. I was crushed. The Truth wasn't a Celtic anymore, the guy that brought me to the team, who made me a fan, wasn't there anymore, I didn't know what to do. So I decided that unlike the Bulls, stick it out, they're your team it will get better, but never forget Paul Pierce and follow him no matter what team he's on to see how well he was doing. I did, while the Celtics were my team I always followed my favourite player from the Nets, to the Washington Wizards, to the Los Angeles Clippers, to his final retirement.
While with the Celtics Paul Pierce's stats spoke for themselves. He was able to get at his lowest 16.5 PPG, 2.4 APG, 4.4 RPG, and at his highest: 26.8 PPG, 5.1 APG, and 7.3 RPG. And then he may have gotten older but "Truth" didn't lose too much of his step and maintained his definition of a clutch player all the way to the end. Sealing some playoff games with clutch 3's on the Wizards specifically. His stats with the Nets were: 13.5 PPG, 2.4 APG, and 4.6 RPG. With the Wizards 11.9 PPG, 2.0 APG, and 4.0 RPG. Finally with the Clippers his first season was the only "good" one while his retirement season not so much: 6.1 PPG, 1.0 APG, and 2.7 RPG. All the way to the end, Pierce was a solid player, everyone knew that. All the accolades he accomplished during his career were: 2008 NBA Champion, 2008 NBA Finals MVP, 2009 All-NBA Second Team, 3x All-NBA Third Team (2002, 2003, 2008), 10x NBA All-Star (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012), 1999 NBA All-Rookie Team, the 2002 NBA leader in total points (2,144), and the 2003 NBA leader in free throws made (604). Along with numerous Celtics records and NCAA accolades.
His final season, his final game at TD Garden, kissing the half court at the end, this guy was the definition of class. Paul Pierce never ever forgot the city of Boston and they never forgot him, he was a Celtic to the end, regardless of his team, and if Paul Pierce could be a Celtic to the end then it was easy for me to be a Celtics fan to the end. He signed a one day contract with the Boston Celtics to retire that year, "The Truth" my basketball idol, finished his career where it started: in Boston.
Here we are near the start of the 2017-2018 season and now that player that drew me to the Celtics the way that Kyrie Irving may do for younger kids now going forward and we are going to see that #34 unfurl in the rafters. Up there along with Russell #6, Bird #33, Ainge #22, McHale #32, Parish #00, with those Hall of Famers and legends we will see another legend: Paul "The Truth" Pierce.
Thanks for all the memories as a Boston Celtic "Truth" and for those cool moments from your other teams too, you were the definition of class in the NBA, respected as a leader and player, there's a reason your name is going up there. Just don't Michael Jordan yourself and come back past your prime, ruining that legacy okay, every Celtic fan would appreciate that. Just like we appreciate you.
His final season, his final game at TD Garden, kissing the half court at the end, this guy was the definition of class. Paul Pierce never ever forgot the city of Boston and they never forgot him, he was a Celtic to the end, regardless of his team, and if Paul Pierce could be a Celtic to the end then it was easy for me to be a Celtics fan to the end. He signed a one day contract with the Boston Celtics to retire that year, "The Truth" my basketball idol, finished his career where it started: in Boston.
Here we are near the start of the 2017-2018 season and now that player that drew me to the Celtics the way that Kyrie Irving may do for younger kids now going forward and we are going to see that #34 unfurl in the rafters. Up there along with Russell #6, Bird #33, Ainge #22, McHale #32, Parish #00, with those Hall of Famers and legends we will see another legend: Paul "The Truth" Pierce.
Thanks for all the memories as a Boston Celtic "Truth" and for those cool moments from your other teams too, you were the definition of class in the NBA, respected as a leader and player, there's a reason your name is going up there. Just don't Michael Jordan yourself and come back past your prime, ruining that legacy okay, every Celtic fan would appreciate that. Just like we appreciate you.