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Paul Pierce Rumors
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Paul Pierce
Position: -
Born: 10/13/77
Height: 6-7 / 2.01
Weight:229 lbs. / 104.3 kg.
Earnings: $200,708,312 ($244,878,140*)
Born: 10/13/77
Height: 6-7 / 2.01
Weight:229 lbs. / 104.3 kg.
Earnings: $200,708,312 ($244,878,140*)
Two lucky fans will win the chance to mix with rugby league and basketball royalty at the NRL grand final on October 6. NBA great Paul Pierce is heading to Australia on his six-day “You’re A Legend Tour”, which includes a visit to ANZ Stadium for the NRL’s crown jewel event.
Even though Jarrett Allen remembers when they added Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, he knows this is a far bigger deal. “So I told everybody this is crazy. All the stuff we’ve been hearing, it’s literally a new Brooklyn,” Allen said. “What happened [before] didn’t change. … I know we had the whole [Kevin Garnett] thing — that’s one of my favorite players — but this is a whole other level of what’s going to happen, or could happen. It’s going to be interesting. It’s going to be interesting. That’s all I can say.”
Horford’s may have a monster four-year offer waiting for him in Dallas, and Pierce says it’s the kid of offer Horford just can’t pass up. “A lot of these guys when they get in their late 20’s or early 30’s and they know there’s light at the end of the tunnel, they try to maximize their dollars,” Pierce said. “So if there’s an opportunity for Al Horford to get more money, I’m sure that’s something you have to look into.”
Paul Pierce, who was in Boston promoting his new line of CBD products, says the perception of Boston is not the reality. “I don’t think a lot of this stuff has to do with the city,” Pierce told MassLive. “I think it has a lot to do with what direction you’re going to, the point of your career you’re at as a player. So I don’t really buy into those things because every player that I know that’s played for the Boston Celtics, 99 percent of them say ‘I didn’t know Boston was like this, this is one of the best franchises’ and they really liked playing for the city of Boston.”
“I think it more has to do with the city, or the weather, or Boston has always been known as a racist city, but people come and it’s not like that anymore,” Pierce said. “That’s just what it is. It’s been known for that. Once they get here and understand what it’s all about, they change their whole opinion.”
Pierce and Billups’ contracts are up, according to sources, and they are expected to be offered new deals, just not as regulars on “Countdown.” Billups will be asked to shift to games, according to sources, which he prefers and which he showed promise on. The network will try to carve out a role for Pierce, including a part on its acclaimed daily afternoon program, “The Jump.”
Multiple sources also tell SportsbyBrooks.com that NBA Countdown analysts Chauncey Billups and Paul Pierce will not return to the show next season as full-time analysts but that Jalen Rose will remain on Countdown in his current capacity. SportsbyBrooks.com has also learned from multiple sources that ESPN on-air talents Maria Taylor and Rachel Nichols are under consideration to take over as host of Countdown.
Andrew Marchand: Here you go: 1. @SportsbyBrooks reported that Michelle Beadle, Paul Pierce and Chauncey Billups are out on ESPN’s NBA Countdown. 2. ESPN’s response:
Awful Announcing: A Sports by Brooks report today said Michelle Beadle will not return as NBA Countdown host next year, and Paul Pierce and Chauncey Billups won’t return as full-time analysts. ESPN’s response: “We have made no decisions about what we are doing next season.”
Another former pro athlete is jumping onto the CBD bandwagon. Paul Pierce, the NBA champion and 10-time All-Star who retired in 2017, launched a line of cannabidiol-derived products on Tuesday with online seller Eaze Wellness branded with his nickname, “The Truth.” The line, aimed at athletes, includes his Vesper vaporizer.
Critics say the intended benefits of these products are still unclear and unproven. But Lamar Odom says it saved his life. And Pierce says it helped him move past other addictions. “Just being an athlete, you get addicted to pain medications,” Pierce says. “In my case, I was dealing with severe neck pain, because back in the early 2000s I was stabbed severely. I dealt with a lot of chronic pain in my neck and back. I was trying to find alternate remedies for this. And it got to the point where I was addicted to pain killers or NyQuil just to fall asleep, until I came across what CBD did for me.”
Ben Rohrbach: Wait, did Paul Pierce just confirm the story about him using the wheelchair to hide the fact he soiled his shorts? pic.twitter.com/SwcmiFa40u
James Ham: “Paul Pierce sucks!” chant right now in Toronto.
NBA legend Paul Pierce is being sued over an altercation with a security guard in the stands at the Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov fight … TMZ Sports has learned. The man behind the suit is Christopher Mostello — who was working security at the T-Mobile Arena on Oct. 6, 2018, for UFC 229 when he got called over by a supervisor to respond to an incident involving Pierce.
Mostello claims his reputation has taken a serious hit and he’s been subjected to public embarrassment, harassment and ridicule. In the suit, filed by attorney Jesse Sbaih, Mostello accuses Pierce of defamation and intentional infliction of emotional distress. He’s demanding more than $15,000 in damages plus attorney’s fees and other costs.
Rachel Nichols will host “The Jump” at 8 p.m., which will serve as a half-hour pregame show and will feature an interview with NBA commissioner Adam Silver. The lottery itself will start at 8:30, and the order should start being announced around 10 minutes into that program. There also will be an “NBA Countdown” show at 7 p.m. with host Michelle Beadle and analysts Jalen Rose, Paul Pierce and Chauncey Billups.
If Paul Pierce is indeed The Truth, then what he had to say in the lead-up to Game 4 should strike a nerve with the Celtics. The franchise legend was unsparing in his assessment of the club’s performance — and effort — the last two games and in what needs to happen now for them to pull even with Milwaukee and advance from this conference semifinal series. If he’s on the mark here in this conversation with the Herald, it might be more accurate for the duration of this column to refer to him as The Hard Truth. “They don’t need a different game plan. They’ve just got to play harder,” Pierce said, taking aim at those in sneakers rather than suits. “The amazing thing to me is they didn’t play like they needed the game. When I watch the Portland games and the other games, you’re seeing guys diving on the floor. I don’t see none of that from the Celtics.”
When it was mentioned that noted floor burn collector Marcus Smart could well be returning to the rotation tonight, Pierce jumped in. “They need that injection from him, because he can inspire them,” he said. “He’s a leader for them, and they need him, like, bad. He can’t do nothing with Giannis, but just him out there and his energy would be big. He’s a winning basketball player. That’s one guy you don’t have to worry about.”
Pierce had now famously declared the series over after the Celtics won by 22 in the opener on the Bucks’ floor. But things changed dramatically over the next two games. “Sometimes you win that first game on the road and you’re like, ‘OK, we stole one. Let’s see if we can steal another one.’ But they got complacent,” he said. “It was like, ‘All right, we’re going to go home after Game 2 and we’ll figure it out at home.’ But then they still played complacent basketball at home, which was disturbing.”
Chris Paul, a nine-time All-Star in his 14th season, says Nene is a player he’s learned from during their time together in Houston. “It says a lot about Nene that he has played this long,” Paul, 33, told The Undefeated. “And I have had the opportunity to play with a lot of great vets. I played with Paul Pierce in his last year in the NBA. I played with Grant Hill his last year in the NBA. I also had an opportunity to play with ‘Chaunce’ [Chauncey Billups]. “Some things go unsaid at times. But as a teammate, you pay attention. You see it with your eyes. So, with ‘Ne,’ it’s his work [ethic]. He didn’t play in our first two playoff games, but he was in the gym, in the weight room and taking care of his body. As a young player, you may not take notice or pay attention to it. But for someone like me who wants that longevity and wants to continue to play, I have the utmost respect for him.”
Steve Aschburner: Bucks C Brook Lopez, once teammate of Paul Pierce, wasn’t irked by Pierce’s TV reax after MIL-BOS G1 that the series is “over.” Said Lopez: “Paul is creative. Obviously he’s a Celtic at heart. So I understand where it’s coming from. But I respectfully disagree with The Truth.”
23 Apr
Gallery 23 Apr
The top scorers ever by draft position
(*) Regular season and playoff scoring combined.
Former Net Paul Pierce believes Brooklyn could build on that young core during free agency this summer. “I think every team has their own path, and there’s not one blueprint that’s the right way,” Pierce said. “I believe when you’re trying to build a championship contender you look at how Philly’s done it, and you look at how Golden State has done it through the draft. There’s no right way. You’ve got to have a great infrastructure for one. You can’t overspend on guys who are not really franchise players. Based on what Brooklyn’s been able to do, based on them not having the draft picks and being able to put together a team nobody expected them to be in this place. They’re in a good place, and I look at them as a free agent destination being that they have low costs (money against the salary cap), they’ve been able to develop Russell into an All-Star, Dinwiddie is coming into his own, and they have very serviceable players, and that can be a great free agent destination in their future.”
There is nothing like sparking some debate for Pierce. During his tenure as an NBA analyst for ABC/ESPN, he has been completely honest about his assessment of the league and current players. He gives his side and has no concern about the reaction. “You know I don’t care about stuff,” Pierce said. “I don’t know how this happened. You know me, you know that stuff don’t bother me. As a player I was the same way, that’s what made me who I am. People can say what they want to say but I’ve always been a villain in this league. I’ve always been booed on the road. “It’s nothing new. It doesn’t bother me one bit.”
When asked if he was laughing at the criticism, Pierce said: “Pretty much. I thought even like in Dwyane Wade’s last game, I thought that was silly [to talk about my comments] because it takes away from what he’s accomplished and what he’s done. Why are they worried about what I say? I don’t even play no more. So yeah, I do laugh.”
Brian Robb: Danny Ainge on @Toucherandrich: Paul Pierce was more consistent than Dwyane Wade over the course of their careers. Pointed to adjusted plus/minus stats that were in Pierce’s favor in his 30s.
Keith Pompey: The #Heat fans are chanting “Paul Pierce Sucks!”
The progress made under general manager Sean Marks and coach Kenny Atkinson in just three seasons is a remarkable story that has turned heads across the league. Players understand they took over a complete disaster in the wake of the 2013 trade that brought Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to the Nets, who mortgaged their future. The 2019 draft will mark the first time in four drafts that Marks will be able to exercise the Nets’ true first-round pick. “You could see the growth over years from 20 wins to 28 to 39-plus,” Davis said. “That’s the trend you want to see if you’re a free agent. It shows the guys at the top [of the organization] know what they’re doing. Everybody knows what this franchise went through with that trade that was arguably the worst trade in NBA history. The culture and us [contending for] the playoffs definitely help out a lot.”
Given a second shot to address the topic in ESPN’s studio early Saturday morning, Paul Pierce stood by his assertion that he had a better career than Dwyane Wade, emphasizing a point he made on ESPN’s NBA studio show earlier in the evening. “When I’m 24, 25, give me Shaq, LeBron [James], [Chris] Bosh, I would be sitting on four or five NBA championships, easy [instead of one],” Pierce said.
“If I had K.G. [Kevin Garnett] and Ray [Allen], if we played together back in 2003 and ‘04, it would be a no-brainer. You have to be lucky to be blessed with other great players…. Wade didn’t win without LeBron, Bosh, Shaq [O’Neal]. You can’t do it by yourself. “People only remember my Big Three era [with Garnett and Allen in Boston]. People forget early 2000s, my matchups with the Nets, Jason Kidd, Allen Iverson, 45 in the closeout game. [Playoff game against] Indiana, 28 in the second half. I had a lot of stuff people didn’t get a chance to see before Twitter or Instagram. Go to Youtube, see early 2000 Paul Pierce.”
Chris Martin Palmer: Paul Pierce embarrassing himself. DWade: 13 All-Stars, 8x All-NBA, 3x All-Defense, 3 Rings. Pierce: 10 All-Stars, 4x All-NBA, 0x All-Defense, 1 Ring. Dwyane Wade: Once again you said it better than i could!
Jared Dudley: Cocaine is helleva drug! 😂😂 Both has great careers but Dwade is 3rd best SG of all-time. Dwyane Wade: You said it better than i could.
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce, a 10-time All-Star and MVP of the 2008 NBA Finals, will be the featured guest speaker at the third annual Seacoast All-Star Sports Awards, which is returning to The Music Hall in downtown Portsmouth on Tuesday, June 18.
Irina Pavlova, former President of Onexim Sports and Entertainment: Brook was out. Kevin (Garnett) couldn’t play big minutes. Mason (Plumlee) had to step up big time in his rookie year. I was talking to Jason (Kidd) before a game once and he said, “We need another big” and then asked what I thought of Jason Collins. I said, “I don’t know … You tell me! Is he good? Can he help us? Is he a good guy?” Kidd said, “Yes, I think he can. And yes, he’s a really good guy.” I asked, “Do you think it’ll be an issue with the locker room?” Kidd said, “If we had a bunch of really young guys, I’d be worried, but I know with KG and Paul (Pierce) here, it’ll be OK and they won’t let anyone get out of line.”
Marc Stein: Harrison Barnes and agent Jeff Schwartz were apprised before Wednesday’s game that Barnes was being pursued by Sacramento and Charlotte, league sources say. The Kings’ offer won out and Barnes, as explained by Paul Pierce late last night on ESPN, opted to play rather than sit
Paul Pierce: “It’s my understanding this was in the works for the last few days. I got a call from Harrison’s agent Jeff Schwartz. They knew something was in the works with Sacramento. And according to my sources, Harrison Barnes wanted to play. It just so happened that during the game, the trade got agreed upon. And so once everybody found out about the trade, they pulled him out. Even though he knew something was in the works, he wanted to play just in case nothing happened.”
30 Nov 18
Retired stars participating include Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce, Scottie Pippen, Tracy McGrady and Jalen Rose. And current ballers in the NBA and WNBA who donated sneakers are DeMarcus Cousins, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Damian Lillard, Boban Marjanovic, Candace Parker, Chris Paul and PJ Tucker.
Paul Pierce tells TMZ Sports he had to pack his things and leave his Calabasas home behind … saying the California wildfires were getting too close for comfort. The retired NBA superstar was leaving Mastro’s in Beverly Hills on Saturday night … when he told us he had spent the day evacuating due to the massive wildfires that have forced more than 250,000 people to leave their homes behind. At least 177 homes have been destroyed in SoCal by the fires … and a ton of celebs and athletes have been affected — including Miley Cyrus, Liam Hemsworth and Gerard Butler, who all lost their Malibu homes.
Paul Pierce is glad Villanova is refusing to visit Trump’s White House to celebrate their NCAA basketball title … saying the tradition is dumb and overrated. Nova’s coach Jay Wright, announced Thursday the team would not visit 1600 Pennsylvania this year — as NCAA winning teams have traditionally done for years. In fact, Villanova visited Obama’s White House after winning the title 2016 — but Wright explained, “Two years ago it was the experience of a lifetime for all of us. It’s just a different time.”
“I don’t know why we go to the White House,” Pierce said … “Why did people even start going there?” BTW … when Pierce went to the White House a decade ago — he called it “truly an honor” and even brought gifts for No. 43.
Darius Miles: I’ll never forget, Paul Pierce came up to me after our second year in the league. Now, Paul is a real dude. He’s from Inglewood. He was like, “Man, lemme tell you something. I don’t got nobody’s jersey in the league. I don’t get down like that. But I got your jersey. I like you guys.” That was the ultimate respect, for us. We got put on the worst team in the league, with the weirdest owner in the world, practicing in a damn JUCO in South Central. But if you were anybody in Los Angeles back then, you want to rock the red, white and blue.
“I am not surprised at all [that they fought],” ESPN analyst (and former Rondo teammate) Paul Pierce said after the game. “For you people out there who don’t know, Rondo and Chris Paul have never liked each other. This dates back to maybe Rondo’s rookie year or second year. They’ve had heated exchanges…I’m surprised this is their first fight, actually.”
Chris Forsberg: Paul Pierce on Kyrie Irving’s resigning announcement: “I think that’s huge. I think he has an understanding after being here a year it’s all about legacy. To have a legacy here in Boston, it could be like none other in the NBA.”
Scott Souza: More Paul Pierce on Kyrie Irving declaring he intends to re-sign w/ #Celtics: He’s a smart player, a smart guy. He understands that a championship window doesn’t last that long. He had his run in Cleveland. He sees a future here in Boston that it could be truly something special.
Tom Westerholm: Paul Pierce was asked if he had any major announcements in the wake of Kyrie Irving. “Do I have a major announcement? No, I am not coming back. I am officially retired.”
Beal and Rivers were often compared because of their similarities, but they saw their differences and dwelled on them. At the time, Beal viewed Rivers the way many opponents did and still do to this day. “All of us, the AAU kids, we always hated Austin because we felt like he had an unfair advantage,” Beal explained. “Your dad, [Doc Rivers], was an NBA coach, you’ve been able to work out with Paul Pierce and [Kevin Garnett] and Ray Allen and all that. We felt like you had the upperhand. He had the NBA socks when we were playing. We were thinking about all of this stuff. You had access to all this stuff and we didn’t. We were kind of envious of it. His game was like super far advanced from everybody else; his handle, his floater, everything. In a way, we were like ‘man, this dude.’ We were kind of jealous of him for a little bit.”
Lina Washington: “Sacramento is headed in the right direction.” – The Truth. Had a chance to catch up with NBA champion Paul Pierce while he & the ESPN were in town profiling Marvin Bagley III (@MB3FIVE) for an upcoming rookie special!
Parker, who left the Bucks during free agency in July to sign a two-year, $40 million contract with the Chicago Bulls, began the summer by working out with Ray Allen in New York. Allen, who starred for the Bucks from 1996-2003, was recently inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Allen, one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, spent four days working with Parker and, as one might assume, offered up shooting tips to Parker. Allen came away suitably impressed with the 23-year-old Parker. “He’s a very good, humble, down-to-earth guy,’’ Allen said of Parker. “As a player, he reminds me of Paul (Pierce) but bigger. His potential is so great.’’
10-time All-Star Paul Pierce has just come out with a theory that will not make New Orleans Pelicans supporters happy. According to the 40-year-old former NBA champion turned basketball analysts, he strongly believes that the Pelicans will end up dealing centerpiece star Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers if the Pelicans perform below expectations in the upcoming season. Pierce shared his bold claim on ESPN’s The Jump.
Danny Ainge: I’m so sorry @Paul Pierce I tried to retire this jersey but your number was disgraced in our media pick up game today. #pleaseforgiveme
Paul Pierce: “I wouldn’t be surprised if [Joakim] Noah ends up there [Timberwolves] this year also. That would be an odd situation. That’d be kind of weird.”
With the same poise he displayed throughout his NBA career, Ray Allen closed Friday night’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction ceremony with an eloquent speech in which he reveled in the accomplishments of his two championship teams and only praised key members of the Boston Celtics’ 2008 title squad. In a week during which Allen’s fractured relationship with some from that 2008 Celtics team, including Rajon Rondo, hovered over his induction, Allen stayed above the fray. He suggested that former teammates Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will soon join him in Springfield, and praised Danny Ainge for assembling that Big Three.
Allen’s first reference to the Celtics drew loud cheers from fans seated in the balcony. “In my 12th year, I paired up with a couple of Hall of Famers in Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett,” Allen said after the cheers quieted. “Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined that I’d end up on that [title] stage.”
Speaking at SiriusXM NBA Radio, Parish, who helped the Celtics win three rings in the 80s, said that Allen and his former teammates should get past all the drama for what they achieved as teammates was a great accomplishment. “Those guys went to war together, battled together,” Parish said. “They won that very elusive championship with how difficult that was in itself. And now they’re going to let a little fighting come between a special team. They were able to achieve excellence. And now they’re going to let a little fighting just destroy all that. I think that is very immature and petty.”
It’s common knowledge that the relationship deteriorated with your old championship Celtics teammates after you left to join Miami in 2012. Where does that stand today? Ray Allen: I talked to Paul a year ago today, and we patched it out. So much was made about my decision, and they were upset with me because I left for Miami. But it will never change what went on between us in 2008. Any communication with KG, Rondo, Glen Davis? Ray Allen: Nope.
“I was stabbed 11 times,” Pierce tells ESPN. “I felt like I was trapped in a box. I couldn’t go nowhere. “I battled depression for a year. The only thing that saved me was basketball.” Long after he was released from the hospital, Pierce remained nervous, jittery, anxious. He couldn’t sleep. The Celtics urged him to seek counseling, but he waved them off. “I thought, ‘I can do this myself,'” Pierce recalls. “I didn’t want anybody else in my business.”
In retrospect, Pierce says, he wishes he had listened to the Celtics and talked with a mental health expert. His decision to deal with his post-traumatic stress on his own heightened his depression and isolated him from friends, family and teammates. “I should have opened up earlier than I did,” Pierce admits. “It was eating me alive. Once I finally started talking to a family member, it helped me. “I realized, ‘I should have done this sooner.’ I would tell everyone to get the help they need. My depression was bad — really bad. I never want to feel that way again.”
Tony Parker wants to retire as a Spur
Is it possible that you will retire as a Spurs player in the future? You know, like what Paul Pierce did. Anyway, wish you all the best in the brand new season! Tony Parker: Yes I will retire as a Spur.
Brian Robb: “I don’t think we are truly going to see Jayson Tatum’s talent anytime soon.” Paul Pierce opened up on Tatum’s potential, LeBron to LA, loyalty in today’s NBA, Rondo as a Laker and much more in an exclusive chat with @bostonsportsbsj:
What are your expectations for the Celtics heading into next season, based on how the offseason went? Pierce: Obviously, based on what they’ve been able to do over the last couple of years and being a year smarter, a year older, a year more experienced, I think it’s time for them to take the next step. It’s about being good, but also about being lucky. I think if they stay healthy, I see them being in the Finals, especially with LeBron being in the Western Conference.
After former teammate Paul Pierce hit a game-winning shot against the Knicks, Robinson kept trying to jump on Pierce’s back in celebration. But Pierce was having none of it, upending Robinson. “That was the day I died and came back to life,” Robinson joked. “I literally almost broke my neck. I was trying to get the piggyback ride from Paul, but he kept running. That was a pretty cool picture though.”
B/R: LeBron has three rings. He’s been to more Finals than any player in modern times. But he’s 3-6 after this series. Does that matter to his legacy? Paul Pierce: When you’re talking about being the greatest, yes. You’re already in the top five. But we’re talking about being at the top of the throne, the top of the mountain; yes, that number does matter when you’re talking that.
Later in August, the Celtics traded Brooklyn’s 2018 first-round pick (No. 8 overall), Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic and a 2020 second-round pick to acquire Irving from the Cavaliers. What goes through the mind of a former Nets decision-maker now watching Irving, Brown and Tatum all on the Celtics? “It doesn’t bother me one bit since the trade happened in 2013 and Brown was picked in 2016 and Tatum in 2017,” ex-Nets assistant general manager Bobby Marks told The Athletic. “It is not like the Philly trade with Boston when Tatum was already identified as a top prospect and 76ers gave up a lottery pick in 2019 to pass on him and picked Markelle Fultz. I will say that the role of Brad Stevens has helped magnify this trade even more by the development that him and his staff have done with both players. Remember that Stevens wasn’t even hired when the trade was made in 2013.”
Back on July 12, 2013, King told reporters it was a good day for the organization. Quietly, other Nets management staffers were concerned about the age of Pierce and Garnett, future luxury tax implications, and whether the Nets were truly good enough to compete for a title that season. Ownership was overjoyed. “Today, the basketball gods smiled on the Nets,” Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov said in a statement at the time. “With the arrival of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, we have achieved a great balance on our roster between veteran stars and young talents. This team will be dazzling to watch, and tough to compete against.”
Paul Pierce: 😂😂😂😂😳😳😳
Bill Doyle: Paul Pierce is at Garden for ESPN.
Mark Murphy: Paul Pierce booked his ticket to Boston yesterday and, per his old team’s request, has arrived. “I wanted them to close it out in six. This is too nerve wracking right here.”
25 May 18
Paul Pierce didn’t mince words. He doesn’t have to. He’s been given good cover. “I think he’s going to be one of the great players in Celtic history,” Pierce said of Jayson Tatum.
Tatum’s gone from 13.9 to 18.4 points a game in the postseason and has been averaging 20.5 since Game 6 in Milwaukee. Pierce averaged 16.5 points as a rookie, but he didn’t get to participate in the playoffs until his fourth season. “He’s already off to such a great start,” said Pierce. “He’s mature beyond his years. He doesn’t look rattled by the moment. Sometimes you see rookies have problems when they get to this point. I saw Ben Simmons against the Celtics, and it looked like moment was too big for him. He was wide-eyed out there. He looked confused. I don’t see that in Jayson Tatum. And if he didn’t have a team full of guys who are really good players and with two All-Stars, he could easily have won Rookie of the Year. I think he’s just starting to see his potential. He’s just 20 years old and he has a long way to go, but he’s just scratching the surface of how great he can really be.”
“[Jayson Tatum] doesn’t know that he’s the guy yet,” Pierce wrote. “When he realizes that, watch out.” He hit a familiar theme in another message, “Mature beyond his years. Scary.”
Lakers Nation: So this just happened on NBA Countdown… Paul Pierce: “You know the one thing that’s sticking out to me? Jalen is the only one that didn’t beat Kobe. Me and Chauncey beat Kobe.” Jalen Rose: “Kobe owns me. I’m his caddie.” Pierce: “We got him, Chaunce’! We got him.”
Paul Pierce was on the phone talking about his 2010 Celtics and the second-round series against Cleveland. He seemed to take particular joy in the video of LeBron James walking off the court in the Garden and removing his jersey on the way to the dressing room — the prelude to a departure for Miami two months later. “We could be seeing history repeat itself,” Pierce said through laughter. “That’s the funny part about it, because if Boston beats them, we all know he’s gone. He may be gone anyway.”
Paul Pierce: The kid is amazing☘️☘️☘️☘️
Paul Pierce: “If you look down, I’ll take [Al] Horford over Kevin Love. The way Tatum’s been playing, Rozier, nobody on Cleveland is playing as well as those guys and they have the advantage pretty much every night at coaching. “Ty Lue’s a great coach but Brad Stevens is the best coach in basketball right now. No offence to [San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg] Popovich, but he’s the best coach in the NBA and that says a lot. “Look at what he’s doing with the Celtics. If they end up in the Finals? Come on. “We had them written off to not even make the playoffs or go this far in the playoffs without Gordon [Hayward] or Kyrie [Irving].”
Paul Pierce: He called Game!!!! Game!!!!!💪🏾
Basketball-Reference: Dario Saric and Ben Simmons are both averaging 20+ PPG and 7+ RPG thru the first 3 playoff games of their careers The last pair of teammates to do that in the same season was Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce in 2002 bkref.com/tiny/X5oOe pic.twitter.com/C7h9PPI20f
Chase Hughes: Paul Pierce on ESPN: ‘My surprise team will be the Washington Wizards. I do believe they have what it takes… to advance out of the first round against the No. 1 seed Toronto Raptors.’
Allen acknowledged he was uneasy about returning to Boston. He said he has heard so much “vitriol” from fans since his departure in 2012. He said he is at peace with his decision but saddened that the Celtic years with Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett have become more about their breakup than their accomplishments.
So, what is the story behind Allen not attending Pierce’s number retirement ceremony? “We talked about how much was made about me not being at Paul’s ceremony, but the interesting thing is how many people told me they didn’t want me to come back, period. And then there’s people who were like, ‘How come you didn’t come back?’ There clearly is a mending of fences that needs to be had, and that wasn’t the night to do it. I know that time will come, and when it comes I will certainly be happy.”
Ray Allen: “I spoke with Paul in China this past year and we got a chance to talk about a lot. I know he was feeling some kind of way, but we hashed that out. When it came down to his [number retirement] day, there was never a conversation about that.”
