Paul Pierce is the small ahead who was greatest recognized for his work with the Boston Celtics alongside fellow “Massive 3” gamers, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
This trio is credited for ushering in a brand new period for the Celtics in the course of the early 2000s.
Though Pierce has not been seen on the skilled courtroom for years, he stays one of the crucial outspoken and daring figureheads within the skilled basketball group.
Pierce has earned himself the nickname “The Reality” after a long time of telling folks precisely what’s on his thoughts.
How Many Rings Does Paul Pierce Have?
Paul Pierce has one championship ring that he gained in 2008 with the Boston Celtics.
Paul Pierce retired in 2017, first saying his retirement earlier than the 2016–2017 season.
By the tip of Pierce’s profession, he had averaged 20.6 factors and 5.7 rebounds per recreation throughout 18 years within the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation.
Pierce spent 15 years with the Boston Celtics earlier than he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets for a single yr, with the ahead transferring to the Washington Wizards, after which the Los Angeles Clippers.
To assist his followers perceive his choice, Pierce wrote, “It’s time to maneuver on from the sport of basketball.
Identical to any troublesome choice, I feel you’ve received to be at peace with your self. I’m at peace with retiring.”
Simply as Paul Pierce thought that he would by no means know one other day as a Boston Celtic, his authentic group scooped their future Corridor of Famer up and allowed Pierce to retire as a Celtic.
The indicators that his enduring Boston followers held each time returned house have been lastly coming true, permitting Pierce to actually be a Celtic for all times.
The Celtic’s supervisor associate, Wyc Grousbeck, spoke on the franchise’s behalf to thank Pierce for selecting to retire as a Celtic and that they have been “honored” to have the ability to increase his quantity within the rafters of their house stadium as soon as once more.
Paul Pierce is the second-highest-scoring participant within the historical past of the Boston Celtics with a complete of 24,021 factors, closing behind John Havlicek.
Regardless of the entire years that Pierce spent away from Boston, he by no means tried to cover his continued love and assist for the group.
Celtics followers have been desperate to see their former Massive 3 star come again house and at last be capable to symbolize town that he liked.
For Pierce, taking part in for the Celtics meant taking part in for the folks of Boston.
Did Paul Pierce Need To Go away The Boston Celtics?
No, Paul Pierce didn’t need to go away the Boston Celtics, however he had little or no say within the choice regardless of the legacy he had created with the group.
Pierce thought that he’d earned the best to retire with the group that he liked essentially the most, which is a part of why he was so devastated to go away and should play in opposition to his former group.
When Pierce was traded to the Brooklyn Nets and needed to play in opposition to the Celtics for the primary time, he felt that was essentially the most troublesome recreation he ever needed to play in his complete profession.
In accordance with Pierce, his first recreation in opposition to the Celtics was “harder than any championship, harder than any Recreation 7.”
One of many onerous elements of the sport for Pierce was searching into the gang and seeing Boston followers carrying the jersey he nonetheless needed to put on, which have been accompanied by indicators that stated “Celtic for Life.”
The night time earlier than the sport, it was troublesome for Paul Pierce to get any sleep as a result of he was used to sleeping in his personal mattress when he was in Boston as an alternative of getting to remain in a lodge.
In interviews following his departure from Boston, Pierce would practically develop into teary-eyed as he talked about how a lot he missed his previous house in Boston, the group round Boston, and the close by friendships he’d made whereas residing there.
At the same time as coach Doc Rivers tried to present Pierce a pep speak, the entire screens across the courtroom have been taking part in clips from the Celtics’ 2008 championship.
Pierce finally got here to phrases with the unhappiness he felt each time he performed in Boston, claiming that it might have occurred regardless of which group he performed for.
Though Pierce got here to understand New York Metropolis, it by no means may examine to Boston.
Why Was Paul Pierce Fired By ESPN?
Paul Pierce was fired by ESPN after making unprofessional tweets about Rachel Nichols from The Leap and smoking with strippers on an Instagram stay stream.
Throughout an interview with fellow ex-ESPN persona Michelle Beadle on her podcast What Did I Miss?, Pierce defined that he was at a home get together and needed to put up about it.
On the time, his relationship with ESPN and his fellow hosts was changing into extra strained by the day.
Pierce didn’t like how a lot of the dialog was surrounding simply LeBron James when there was a complete league of gamers to speak about, particularly given their private histories.
Between the shortage of selection in subjects and the way in which ESPN dealt with themselves, Pierce discovered himself changing into bored and questioning why he was persevering with to work if he was already retired.
Though Pierce wasn’t nervous about what would occur if ESPN noticed the video, Pierce admits that he didn’t totally perceive how Instagram Dwell labored.
The retired Celtics star didn’t know that the stay stream could be recorded and solely anticipated just a few folks to see it.
As an alternative, Pierce’s home get together video went viral and Pierce awoke the subsequent day with a whole bunch of messages.
When Paul Pierce was requested for an apology following the home get together video, Pierce responded by claiming that many individuals at ESPN have been doing a lot worse and including, “You’re simply hiding it, and also you all are married whereas doing it. I’m divorced. I’m retired. I’m having enjoyable.”
True to his nature, “The Reality” doesn’t appear to be ashamed of what he does together with his free time when the cameras are away.
Paul Pierce lives his life freely and unabashedly, by no means permitting one thing to slip simply because social etiquette would dictate that you simply say nothing.
Why Does Paul Pierce Not Get Alongside With LeBron James?
Paul Pierce doesn’t get together with LeBron James even after years of being retired from the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation due to a preseason incident that occurred between Pierce and James’s groups.
After years of rivalry between Pierce and James, their former teammate Kendrick Perkins stepped ahead to clarify what began their feud from his perspective.
From the second that LeBron James entered the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation, Pierce has by no means favored James or the eye he garnished.
Throughout his rookie season, the Boston Celtics have been taking part in a recreation in opposition to the Cleveland Cavaliers when Perkins first heard the backlash that James was receiving from the older gamers.
The older gamers would mockingly name James “The Chosen One” and inform him, “Wait till you play in opposition to grown males.”
In Perkins’s second yr, the groups have been paired in opposition to one another within the preseason when James threw down an uncontested dunk and instantly tried to play powerful close to the Celtics’ bench.
This angered Pierce to the purpose of smack-talking the Cavaliers and even spitting within the path of their bench whereas passing by.
Pierce added a lot gasoline to the fireplace that the gamers have been able to bodily battle one another, with the extra wise gamers having to carry again their keen teammates.
At the same time as James served his time within the Nationwide Basketball Affiliation and proved that he may play with the perfect, Pierce may by no means perceive the thrill about James’s profession.
In 2020, Paul Pierce was requested to call the highest 5 greatest basketball gamers of all time and listed Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Invoice Russell, Magic Johnson, and Kobe Bryant.
When requested why James wasn’t on that record, Pierce defined that the gamers he selected all “helped construct up their organizations or continued the custom.”
Why Did Paul Pierce Go away A Recreation In A Wheelchair?
Paul Pierce had to make use of a wheelchair throughout a recreation in 2008 as a result of he was prone to soiling his uniform.
Pierce felt pressured to convey up this case after there have been rumors that he had truly dirty his pants, however the basketball legend claims that he wouldn’t have been sitting down in dirty pants.
Throughout Recreation 1 of the 2008 Finals in opposition to the Los Angeles Lakers, Pierce was out of the blue escorted out of the sport in a wheelchair for an undisclosed damage.
Though it appeared like Pierce was out of the sport from the viewers’ perspective, he returned to the courtroom only some minutes later as if nothing had occurred.
For 11 years, Paul Pierce refused to confess what the undisclosed damage was and solely got here ahead with the reality when the rumor started to get too out of hand for Pierce.
Whereas analyzing a recreation, “The Reality” stated, “I’ve a confession to make: I simply needed to go to the lavatory.”
This second stays one of the crucial notorious of Pierce’s complete profession.