Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce Is an NBA Superstar
Drafted 10th overall in 1998 by the Boston Celtics out of Kansas, he felt a little disrespected. I mean, Michael Olowakandi was the first overall pick, then went Mike Bibby, Raef LaFrentz, Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter, Robert “Tractor” Traylor, Jason Williams, Larry Hughes, Dirk Nowitzki (who the Bucks traded to Dallas for “Tractor”) and then Pierce.
Hailing from Inglewood, California, Pierce had always hated the Celtics, like every true Angeleno should. He grew up minutes from the Great Western Forum, watching the likes of Magic Johnson and James “Big Game” Worthy battle Larry Bird and Kevin McHale.
The last place he wanted to end up was Boston. But so goes life—he wasn’t going to pull a Steve Francis and refuse to play for the team that drafted him, or pull an Eli Manning and pout to his famous father on draft day. So he took his talents to The Garden in Boston; a place he dreamt of taking a leak on since he was born.
All his critics continue to call him nonathletic, slow and over-dramatic. He has managed to fly under the radar his entire career, yet he’s a bona-fide superstar. He’s scored over 22,000 points in his career. He has career averages of 22 points, six rebounds, four assists and one-and-a-half steals. He has a championship ring. He has a Finals MVP.
He recently moved ahead of Larry Bird into second on the Celtics all-time scoring list. The most storied franchise in NBA history and Pierce sits at No. 2 on their scoring list. There isn’t a better player in the league from 15-18 feet, specifically from the elbow. Give the ball to Paul with the game on the line and he finds his way to that elbow and he buries the shot. In a league where clutch means everything, Pierce may be at, or close to, the top of that list.
He must be the best player with the least amount of national recognition. Everyone knows he’s a very good player, but when was the last time you asked your friend (excluding those who live in Boston) to name the top ten players in the game and they included Paul Pierce? He gets no love or respect. It’s because his game isn’t flashy and he never highlights SportsCenter. It's because he just isn't the freak athlete that LeBron James is. He won’t drive the lane and throw down the filthy flush.
However, his methodical, I-am-better-than-you approach to the game continues to produce buckets and wins. He is currently in his 14th NBA season and may appear to be declining, but his style of play will always defy the odds. In a season where all the trade talk surrounded the Celtics, Pierce continues to impress. Boston had been deemed ‘too old’ to compete for a championship this season, yet here they stand, just one win from a return trip to the NBA Finals.
Pierce is still the leader of this team. Even when they brought in Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, Pierce continued to anchor Celtic pride. Ultimate professional. Perennial All-Star. Champion. MVP. Angeleno still doing his thing in Beantown.
You can hate the Celtics, you can hate Boston, but you can’t deny Paul Pierce the limelight. His accomplishments speak for themselves. Even on an off-night from the field, he manages to find the range when the moment calls. With great team defense and a superstar in Pierce, the Celtics always have a chance.
That's the Truth, Truth.
