Paul Motherf*ckin' Pierce

Manramsclan · Jun 28, 2013

The Truth

He stayed in that locker room until KG, Ray Allen & Rondo walked through that door, and finally won a championship.

A great Celtic. It was not size or athleticism that set him apart, he was just pure baller. I loved KG but I am devastated that I will have to see Paul Pierce in another uniform.

Oil Can Dan · Jun 28, 2013

It's surreal to me that he's technically not a Celtic for right now. I recall the horror of learning he had been stabbed 10+ times in some club in Boston and having deja vu all over again. Was this another Reggie/Bias thing that would haunt the Celtics? No. He played every game that season.

I also remember rooting for him to continue to drop to #10 in the draft back in '98. I didn't know much about college ball, but I wanted Pierce and was ecstatic when he made it to us. Especially considering the screw job the C's got in the draft in '97.

I feel really happy to have been able to watch him over the past 15 years, and I look forward to seeing his number raised to the rafters when he's done. He's been a real treat, and he's a Celtic for life regardless of whatever happened today.

teezy · Jun 28, 2013

Great post. I think it was a good trade that had to be done, and at least Pierce (and KG) won't have to spend their last years on a shitty rebuilding team, but damn I will miss him a lot.

This is my favorite Pierce video - a compilation of some of his and-1s. Really highlights the craftiness/awkwardness that make him the player he is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmW43Q5Gu2M

Beomoose · Jun 28, 2013

Not gonna lie, I'm real real bummed he's not going to retire in Green.

One last time, for old time's sake:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAydJKqu5gg

Caspir · Jun 28, 2013

I'm absolutely gutted by this trade. Pierce was Boston sports for me as a kid. The one consistency in a world where players come and go, passing through for a few years while earning their millions, but Pierce was different. This just sucks. Brady is the man, but Paul Pierce is always going to be the guy I think of first when I think about the past fifteen or so years of Boston sports. It is going to be surreal seeing brim show up to our building wearing another team's jersey.

lostjumper · Jun 28, 2013

I understand the reason for the trade, and appreciate what Danny is doing to accelerate the rebuilding process. But it's going to suck seeing Pierce in a uniform other than Celtic green. I started watching basketball in 94, which means I missed the glory years of Celtics basketball. Never saw Bird play or McHale. Pierce will always be my favorite Celtic, because he was a true hall-of-famer who played on a crappy team for year after year. When he was stabbed I thought that was the end of his career...he never missed a game. The way he went out in that Pacers series years ago, I didn't know if he could come back, but he did. Always doing his part leading the team. I'm so glad I was able to witness a Celtics championship, and he was a huge part of it.

Paul will be missed, but he will always be a Celtic!

Van Everyman · Jun 28, 2013

For me, Paul Pierce is the guy who proved that even today, big, bad overpaid athletes can change and mature. I think some of us forget how similar to Rondo the young Pierce was -- moody, arrogant, selfish. I'll never forget his comments after a big win against the Nets in the epic 2002-03 playoffs when he said that the reason the Celtics had prevailed in the game was...him. And of course, everyone remembers the famous bandage press conference when it seemed the Paul Pierce story was going to end badly.
Despite countless assassin performances, over the next few years he lost just enough of his passion for the game and was ok track to be remembered as...quite frankly, an extremely talented asshole. As late as June 2007, Woj was reporting that Pierce was demanding a trade if they couldn't get somebody to play alongside him (and, lest we forget, we were in talks to send Jefferson to Minnesota so that KG could be traded...to the Lakers!!).

And then, something amazing happened. No, not just the Big Three era. But the guy grew up. He liked winning, obviously, but also, he actually welcomed not having to shoulder the load every night. He got to experience the intensity of the Boston fans in a good way. And yes, he got to be a hero more than a few times.

At a moment when we are all a bit stunned by the Aaron Hernandez story. Pierce is a reminder (admittedly on a very different scale) that people can change -- that it doesn't always have to end badly. Sometimes it can even end like this:

Best of luck, #34. You were the heart and soul of this team. Hopefully, your talent isn't be only thing we take away from your time here.

m0ckduck · Jun 28, 2013

teezy said:
Great post. I think it was a good trade that had to be done, and at least Pierce (and KG) won't have to spend their last years on a shitty rebuilding team, but damn I will miss him a lot.

This is my favorite Pierce video - a compilation of some of his and-1s. Really highlights the craftiness/awkwardness that make him the player he is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmW43Q5Gu2M

Not bad, but I think this clip has to a part of any creditable Pierce highlight reel:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx-_o118F9M

A monster play and a key moment in the best win of the Pierce-Garnett era

CreightonGubanich · Jun 28, 2013

This one's tough. Pierce is my last sports connection to the 1990's, and almost the last connection to my high school years (Ortiz and Brady are the last ones left). It's rare these days to see a player spend his entire career with one team, but it's more than just that. With Pierce, it felt like we watched him grow up. There was always this question as to whether Pierce was truly a franchise player. Was he just a volume scorer who could put up numbers on sub-par teams, or could you build a championship team around him?

He was frustrating like no other player I can remember. He was a petulant young guy forced to play under Rick Pitino. Then, he seemingly had his breakout as a future superstar in the 2002 playoffs, but regressed in the years that followed. The whispers about his life off the court, the stupid Jamaal Tinsley incident in 2005, those stretches where he'd get moody and coast, seemingly content just to put up his 25 points. And then, he started to put it all together. Casual fans will tell you it was when KG got here, but it was before that. In 2006, he quit bitching, complaining and sulking. He played team basketball, despite playing with the likes of Ricky Davis, Raef LaFrentz and then Wally Szczerbiak. He carried the weight of the franchise and played hard every night, even for a team that only ended up winning 33 games. He suffered through a nightmare of a season the next year, with the C's winning 24 games. Then Ray and KG arrived and the rest is history. But to watch Pierce slowly morph, at times two steps forward and one step back, into a truly complete player over the course of a decade-plus has been one of my favorite experiences as a sports fan.

What I'll remember the most is how he'd find ways to contribute even when his shot wasn't falling. He'd defend, rebound, facilitate. Larry Bird did the same thing. That, and how Paul Pierce always believed he was the best player on the court every time he stepped on the floor. It led to "hero basketball" at times, and the inevitable heat check three, but it was all part of the package that made him such a great clutch player.

Jed Zeppelin · Jun 28, 2013

Won't hit me until the first game next season when an end of quarter possession ends in a turnover and I'll say to myself "damn, really could have used a Pierce ISO there."

GBrushTWood · Jun 28, 2013

How about the durability of Pierce? I've heard people mention the stabbing back in 2001, but other than the 2006-2007 stress reaction in his foot, Pierce never really missed big chunks of any season during his career. And that 2007 injury was probably compounded by them trying to tank games for Oden/Durant.

Pierce was a guy that showed up to work everyday and played at a high level throughout tons of nagging injuries. During his prime, he was also known as a complete bulldozer who was quick enough to drive past his wing defender, but able to absorb contact from big dudes in the paint. #10 all time in the NBA for career free throws made.

His game evolved over time as well. After his involvement with USA basketball in the 2002 FIBA championships, I recall him being labeled a selfish ball hog who couldn't pass well. Over time, I think he shed this label and turned into a competent passer, and all around team ball player.

This guy was a great, great Celtic. He turned into a real leader, matured throughout his time here, was one of the top wing players of his generation, and helped lead us to championship

Oh, and for the record, the 2008 wheelchair incident against the Lakers didn't happen. Didn't happen.

NatetheGreat · Jun 28, 2013

Some Hall of Famers aren't shocking--you know, from the moment they stop onto the floor, that if they work hard and don't get injured they're a near lock to end up there.

What made Pierce amazing was he wasn't like that at all. He always seemed a little heavy, he was never the fastest guy on the floor, nor the best leaper. He played like that old man at the Y who keeps making "fluke" baskets until everyone catches on that they aren't flukes. And yet he put together one of the most impressive careers of any NBA player of his generation.

ElcaballitoMVP · Jun 28, 2013

"‘Take this down. My name is Shaquille O’Neal, and Paul Pierce is the motherfuckin' truth. Quote me on that, and don’t take nothing out. I knew he could play, but I didn’t know he could play like this. Paul Pierce is the truth.’

I'll miss #34. He grew up before our eyes. From a somewhat immature young man to the leader and captain of a championship team. He welcomed KG and Ray with open arms and never once tried to claim it was "his" team or that he was the guy who needed to take the game winning shot. He put the team first and battled every single night. The guy got his front teeth knocked out and brushed it off and kept playing like he just bit his tongue (I suppose when you get stabbed a hundred times and refused to die, losing a couple teeth is nothin). He's a true Celtic and will always be one, in my eyes. No one will ever wear #34 again in Celtic green.

Thanks for the adding another banner to the rafters and for all of the memories. It won't be the same watching him in another uniform. But if the Celtics are going to be awful for the next few seasons, I hope he gets himself another ring. He deserves it.

NatetheGreat · Jun 28, 2013

LeBron James recently said that Paul Pierce was his biggest rival.

If Brooklyn doesn't get hit too bad by injuries (not a given, given their age), then they could be heading for another playoff matchup. At this point, Pierce is likely too old, and LBJ too good at the moment, for it to be much of a "duel", but it would still be nice to see them face off one more time.

Marbleheader · Jun 28, 2013

I remember that draft vividly. Pitino desperately wanted Dirk and tried to throw other teams off by saying he didn't think he'd be able to play for a couple of seasons. I was mystified as to why Pierce slipped, but he was a hell of a consolation prize for missing out on Dirk. He used that draft night to fuel him, having trainers shout out the names of the 9 guys drafted ahead of him while he took shots in the gym. It took a while for him to mature, but he was good enough out of the gate to keep Pitino from dealing him like he did with Billups. Would have loved a second title for him in 2010, but the 2008 team was the only one of the recent 11 titles won by this city to be clinched here. Seeing him win that MVP, at the expense of the Lakers, was simply amazing. Beat Miami.

NatetheGreat · Jun 28, 2013

I think the Nets still have their MLE, it'll be interesting to see what they do with that. A good wing defender who can hit open shots in a pinch would be ideal. Those guys are pretty sought after these days, but the combination of New York market and playing for a potential contender could lure somebody decent.

Grin&MartyBarret · Jun 28, 2013

NatetheGreat said:
I think the Nets still have their MLE, it'll be interesting to see what they do with that. A good wing defender who can hit open shots in a pinch would be ideal. Those guys are pretty sought after these days, but the combination of New York market and playing for a potential contender could lure somebody decent.

Only a mini-mid level. They're way over the tax threshold.

The Talented Allen Ripley · Jun 28, 2013

Jimy Hendrix · Jun 28, 2013

Those O'Brien Pierce/Walker, tough as nails defense/garbage ISOs & 3s offense teams were what got me back into basketball after I pretty much checked out post-Lewis death.

They were never gonna get over the hump with those mediocre "Waltah" supporting cast guys, and we saw how much better it could get in a few years, but I still have a bit of a soft spot for say Erick Strickland because of those teams. That said, this isn't an Erick Strickland thread, this is all about Paul Pierce. I remember people on the internet going back and forth in basketball forums over T-Mac vs. Kobe vs. Vince, while we were all screaming about Pierce. Kobe aside, he was definitely a better wing than all those guys in that generation.

RedOctober3829 · Jun 28, 2013

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VzOPwJWKic

I've been watching Paul Pierce in a Boston uniform for half of my life. He will be a Celtic for life!!

RidetheSeal · Jun 28, 2013

While I understand this analytically I am totally heartbroken. Pierce is my 2nd favorite Celtic after Larry. When they won the chip I cried like a baby because I was so happy for him. Having lived in NY since the early 90's I've ordered the NBA league pass since it's inception so I could follow him and truly thought he would retire as a Celtic. I'm happy I'll be able to watch all his games since he's with the Nets but seeing him in a new uniform is going to be really hard. He wasn't the most athletic but he had the mental fortitude of all the greats.

Dan to Theo to Ben · Jun 28, 2013

Please NBA, do not schedule the Nets as a preseason home opponent as you've done recently. Pierce deserves a regular-season return farewell, not one with a 1/2 empty building. . That's the cold-blooded TRUTH.

Easy Ed Cota · Jun 28, 2013

Oil Can Dan said:
It's surreal to me that he's technically not a Celtic for right now. I recall the horror of learning he had been stabbed 10+ times in some club in Boston and having deja vu all over again. Was this another Reggie/Bias thing that would haunt the Celtics? No. He played every game that season.

I also remember rooting for him to continue to drop to #10 in the draft back in '98. I didn't know much about college ball, but I wanted Pierce and was ecstatic when he made it to us. Especially considering the screw job the C's got in the draft in '97.

I feel really happy to have been able to watch him over the past 15 years, and I look forward to seeing his number raised to the rafters when he's done. He's been a real treat, and he's a Celtic for life regardless of whatever happened today.

I love everything about this post. I have clear memories of that draft and watching Pierce drop again and again. I was elated when we got him and remember telling my Dad that we just got an absolute steal.

He was the best Celtic I've had the opportunity of watching from start to finish.

TheJodyReedExperience · Jul 16, 2013

Pierce went on a Twitter/Instagram spree today posting his favorite pictures from his Boston tenure to thank the fans. Bittersweet stuff, but it's a nice trip.

http://instagram.com/paulpierce/#

He also edited them into a YT slideshow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h4cO9N3Sa0

EDIT: Added video

DannyDarwinism · Jul 16, 2013

Damn. I love that guy. There's something about him that I find more accessible than my other sports heroes. Maybe it's because we're about the same age and I've been watching him for so long. He's got so much damn heart.

Koufax · Jul 16, 2013

Very cool, and a really good gesture. We saw him grow up from a slightly punky youngster with a chip on his shoulder to a mature, polished player and leader with a chip on his shoulder. It was great to watch and he's in the pantheon of Boston sports greats, no doubt. I'll miss him and be grateful to have seen so much of him.

RoDaddy · Jul 16, 2013

It's probably bad enough that I'm in my fifties and wear his number 34 celtic shirt around town on weekends, especially now that he plays for another team! But I don't care - he will always be one of my all-time favorite Boston athletes. Here's one of my favorite videos of him:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFZvnsKjjDk

kelpapa · Jul 16, 2013

It really is going to suck seeing PP play in another uniform this year. I understand the move, but... it's going to suck. This is the play I'll always remember, on those bad teams that he carried. He points to the spot on the floor that he's going to shoot from and then buries the buzzer-beater in Harrington's eye.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ehUsyxZIjc

Marbleheader said:
I remember that draft vividly. Pitino desperately wanted Dirk and tried to throw other teams off by saying he didn't think he'd be able to play for a couple of seasons. I was mystified as to why Pierce slipped, but he was a hell of a consolation prize for missing out on Dirk. He used that draft night to fuel him, having trainers shout out the names of the 9 guys drafted ahead of him while he took shots in the gym. It took a while for him to mature, but he was good enough out of the gate to keep Pitino from dealing him like he did with Billups. Would have loved a second title for him in 2010, but the 2008 team was the only one of the recent 11 titles won by this city to be clinched here. Seeing him win that MVP, at the expense of the Lakers, was simply amazing. Beat Miami.

I work with Dan Issel, and Dan loves telling stories. He told me this one earlier this season.

Issel was the GM of the Nuggets when PP came out, and the Nuggets had the third pick. He went to the work out at Kansas to see PP and Raef. He said both were impressive, but he went to talk to Roy Williams after the workout. Roy couldn't stop talking about Raef, but when Dan asked about PP, Roy had some unkind words. Roy said PP's brother kind of ran the show, and he ran with a questionable crew. If Roy told that to Dan, I have to assume he passed that on to several others.

This is the cool part of the story, and some of you can doubt it, but I believe it. Christopher Wallace was the GM for the Celtics at the time. Wallace came up through the Nuggets organization, so Dan knew him pretty well. He said when PP dropped to the Celtics, Wallace called Dan and was scrambling and wondering why PP dropped so far. Dan claims he told Wallace that the Nuggets loved PP, but they just loved Raef more. He didn't mention what Roy told him, and the C's picked PP.

DeJesus Built My Hotrod · Jul 17, 2013

When you think of athletes who shouldn't but truly do get the towns they play in, Pierce immediately comes to mind. I hope BKNY Nets him another ring this upcoming season. He can then return to Boston and either play with the C's in some capacity or simply retire a Celtic.

Corsi · Jul 17, 2013

DannyDarwinism said:
Damn. I love that guy. There's something about him that I find more accessible than my other sports heroes.

I know what you mean. I met him out at Kings in the Back Bay on a random night a couple years ago. He was there bowling alone. I found that so cool for some reason. In this world of excess that most athletes live in, there was Pierce just playing some frames by himself. Fucking awesome.

Here's a crappy picture I was able to snap from that night.

PedroKsBambino · Jul 17, 2013

Pierce seemed to change (grow?) during his time in Boston. Before the stabbing, there were a number of stories about his nightlife, his friends, and other stuff that while not all that unusual, were also at least a little bit imperfect.

Later in his Boston career, that stuff just didn't show up at all, and I at least started to see him way more in charity stuff and with his blog in the Globe and other stuff. The picture/story of him at Kings is perfect for me on that---he was just a guy living his life in a comfortable way at that point.

I have heard that Celts were calling all around trying to figure out why PP was dropping in the draft; fortunately, he did and fortunately, they picked him!

MJM2344 · Jul 17, 2013

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPSLmwuQbAU[/youtube]

45 against Cleveland in Game 7 in 2008.

ifmanis5 · Jul 17, 2013

CaptainLaddie said:
Fun fact about Paul Pierce: he LOVES karaoke. I'm not joking. He had part ownership in a failed karaoke place (The Alley Cat) and would come in some nights -- with his own microphone.

:lol:
His OWN mic? Really? Was it gold like the one Mariah Carey has?

kolbitr · Jul 17, 2013

Pierce seemed to change (grow?) during his time in Boston. Before the stabbing, there were a number of stories about his nightlife, his friends, and other stuff that while not all that unusual, were also at least a little bit imperfect.

Later in his Boston career, that stuff just didn't show up at all, and I at least started to see him way more in charity stuff and with his blog in the Globe and other stuff. The picture/story of him at Kings is perfect for me on that---he was just a guy living his life in a comfortable way at that point.

I have heard that Celts were calling all around trying to figure out why PP was dropping in the draft; fortunately, he did and fortunately, they picked him!

How sad to read this, agree, and think of how things could have been with Aaron Hernandez...not saying they're exactly parallel, but...damn.

I loved PP more and more through the years and so did my elderly Irish Catholic mom, who has been avidly watching the Celtics since Bob Cousy first dribbled up the parquet, and spoke of Pierce in tones she had long reserved for Cousy, Sam Jones, and Larry himself. She is heartbroken about it...me, I will just miss him in green.

The Social Chair · Jul 18, 2013

[twitter]ChrisMannixSI[/twitter]

Seen a lot of Paul Pierce the last 15 years. Good, the bad and the ugly.
Never seen him this emotional. He's clearly still processing this.

DannyDarwinism · Jul 22, 2013

That is awesome. As far as athletes I want hang out with, it's Pedro for a round of golf or a leisurely dinner, Wilfork for a backyard BBQ and Paul Motherfuckin' Pierce for bowling or karaoke.

The Social Chair · Jan 27, 2014

Post game quotes

"I was telling Kevin, I was telling everybody -- this was the toughest game I ever had to play," Pierce said after he and Garnett were treated like rock stars at TD Garden, receiving raucous ovations and emotional video tributes that nearly moved them to tears before the Nets beat the Celtics 85-79 in front of a sellout crowd.

"It was tougher than any championship game. Tougher than any Game 7. This game was just so hard to really just focus and concentrate on what was at hand."
Garnett felt the exact same way.

"This was by far the hardest day I've had to focus," Garnett said. "This was bigger than Minnesota, even when I went back to Minnesota."
Garnett called the Celtics' treatment of him and Pierce Sunday night "over the top."

"We had dinner with [former teammate] Rondo last night," Pierce said. "It was good to see him. I couldn't think about anything but today, really. It was hard for me to sleep, just laying in a downtown hotel in Boston, when I'm used to being at my house. Getting into the arena, coming through the back side, making a left [to the visitor's locker room] instead of a right. Just everything was so different, and it was great, though."

"I just wanna give a special thank you [to the fans]," Pierce said. "Through my bad times, through my immature times, through my growing up and becoming a man in this city, to winning a championship and everybody sticking with me and standing behind me, I'd just like to tell them thank you."

Added Garnett: "I think we will always bleed green, as long as we're playing basketball. As long as we're living, even when they bury us six feet [under], it's what it's gonna be."

Kenny F'ing Powers · Jan 27, 2014

The ESPN feed:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOUCVAdQu3A

Nick Kaufman · Jan 27, 2014

There's a ton of fan tribute videos on youtube; I thought this pretty fucking good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ5CVIRR-4Q

The Social Chair · Jan 28, 2014

I really recommend this piece by Woj on Pierce/KG. It'll make you love them even more.

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/for-paul-pierce-and-kevin-garnett--a-boston-goodbye-comes-with-cheers--tears-and-a-forever-bond-061946502.html

RidetheSeal · Jan 28, 2014

Wow, great article, thanks. I didn't think I could love Pierce anymore than I already did.

Koufax · Jan 28, 2014

I was there and had no clue about this:

After watching on a television in Milwaukee Sunday night, Doc Rivers told Yahoo Sports, "It was incredible. I have no idea how they're playing. The coolest part of the night was when they showed the lady crying in the crowd. Well, that lady was JoJo White's wife. It exemplifies what that franchise is about: a family."

DeJesus Built My Hotrod · Jan 29, 2014

That Woj piece is fantastic. I said this in the gamethread and I will say it here. I am normally not sentimental but I would love to see the Celtics sign Pierce to a reasonable contract this offseason so he can retire in Boston. I am reasonably certain the C's will sign him on the actual day he retires but I think he could be a positive force for Stevens and the younger players as he plays out his last few seasons.

That said, its probably unrealistic for a number of reasons. First, Danny is clearly wary of holding on too long and, more to the point, with Rondo now the captain, its hard to imagine how Pierce can return in a diminished "leadership" role, even if Rondo's captaincy is symbolic.

jose melendez · Jan 29, 2014

In a way, I find the fact that Pierce was so immature when he got here (and for a good while into his stay) to be one of the most endearing things about him. He didn't come to the team as a slick, packaged product. He was a flawed, unfinshed but still good person. Being part of his journey was part of the fun.

I will say, on the subject of his generosity, I really, really hope it isn't Antoine style generosity.

RedOctober3829 · Jan 30, 2014

Great piece on Pierce from Zach Lowe of Grantland.

http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-life-and-death-of-fandom/

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