Paul Pierce: The Truth Is... It's Been A Beautiful Ride

Michael Olowokandi, Mike Bibby, Raef LaFrentz, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Robert Traylor, Jason Williams, Larry Hughes, and Dirk Nowitzki, the nine players drafted before Paul Pierce in the 1998 NBA draft and nine of the biggest influences in his career.

Pierce was projected to be a top five pick when he entered the draft following his junior season at the University of Kansas. But those top ten picks proved to be one of the longest time periods in Pierce’s life as he sat there anxious and confused as to why his name hadn’t been called yet.

But while Pierce grew upset as each name was called off the list of draft entries, the Boston Celtics became filled with more and more excitement as they awaited their pick at the ten spot hoping that Paul Pierce would graciously fall into their laps. With Pierce still on the board after the first nine picks the Celtics wasted little time making the former Jay-hawk the newest addition in Boston, where he would be paired with Antoine Walker to form a formidable duo in the Eastern Conference.

Pierce took being the number ten pick as an insult to his ability to play the game of basketball. The nine teams that passed on him fueled Pierce to become a better basketball player. He strove to outperform the nine players drafted before him and all of those teams second guess their decision to pass on “The Truth.” He spent a countless number of hours in the gym saying a name of one of the players drafted before him and then shooting a jump shot. He did this over and over again saying each person’s name that was drafted prior to him in order to motivate himself to be the best basketball player he possibly could be.

All of the hard work Pierce put in paid off as the 1998 NBA season proved to show that Pierce had plenty of talent and that he would be a great player for years to come. While the rookie of the year was Toronto’s Vince Carter after his amazing year filled with highlights and spectacular plays, Pierce still averaged a very respectable 16.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game and showed that he was destined to be something special and the future of the Boston Celtics.

Prior to the 2000-2001 season Pierce was involved in a stabbing incident at a private party at the Buzz Club in Boston. Three men attacked him from behind, hitting him in the head with a bottle and then proceeding to stab him eleven times in the face, neck, and back leaving Pierce seriously wounded. Friends rushed Pierce to the hospital where it was determined that most of the stab wounds were superficial except for one in his sternum that was seven inches deep and punctured a lung, which required surgery to repair. Doctors and friends stated that a big leather coat that Pierce had purchased when first moving to Boston from California was the key factor in saving his life. Pierce recovered from the attack well and was informed that it wouldn’t affect his career at all.

The stabbing incident served to be more motivation in the career of Pierce as he came back stronger and more determined to be better than he was before knowing now that life, just as much as basketball, is something that’s not going to last forever. As ex-49er great Ronnie Lott once said, you need to “Exhaust life,” and get the most out of every situation you are placed in. A near-death experience is a pretty good way to get your head on straight and find out what’s really important in life, and that’s exactly what Pierce did. He realized who he was now and what his profession requires of him off the court as well as on the court.

Pierce came back from the injuries a more mature and determined player and person, being the only Celtic to play in all eighty-two games in the 2000 season. He had a few more good seasons individually, including becoming the first Celtic to score 2,000 points in a season since Larry Bird, and in the 2002 season he and Antoine Walker were able to lead the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals, where the were eventually defeated by the New Jersey Nets.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?