Video: Celtics' Icon Paul Pierce Shades Lakers' IST Championship Banner During Parade
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce took some shots at the Los Angeles Lakers' victory in the NBA In-Season Tournament while celebrating his former team's championship win on Friday.
"If we win the in-season tournament, we're not putting up a banner," Pierce said. "Let the Lakers do that. We can make it into a carpet and put it in the hallway or something."
After the Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers in the tournament final on Dec. 9, they raised a banner in Crypto.com Arena on Dec. 18.
The Celtics earned some bragging rights over the Lakers after defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals, earning their 18th championship. They broke a tie with the Lakers for the most titles in NBA history, as Los Angeles has 17.
Pierce was responsible for one of those championship victories, defeating the Lakers in six games to capture banner No. 17 in 2008. The two teams were part of a fierce rivalry, as Los Angeles earned some revenge by taking down the Celtics in seven games during the 2010 finals.
The 10-time All-Star was a key member of the rivalry and finished his career as a Boston sports icon, ranking No. 2 on the franchise's all-time scoring list while also ranking No. 1 in steals. Pierce had his jersey retired by the organization in 2018 and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Although it's been over a decade since he last suited up for the Celtics, the 46-year-old clearly hasn't forgotten about his heated battles with the Lakers and poked some fun at them on Friday.
