Celtics legend Paul Pierce almost had no fans in the NBA admire him outside of Boston, for whom he brought in a championship.
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Paul Pierce is one such legend of the game who never got as much respect from the fans as he should have gotten during his 19-year playing career.
At 22 years of age, that man literally got stabbed 11-times around the face, neck, and chest area and not only survived the surgery but made it back to the start of the regular season of the NBA within a month and played all the 82 games in that season.
Only that incident should be enough for him to have all the love and respect of the audience not only in Boston but around the league. But his antics throughout his career were enough for them to overlook both – his exceptional capabilities on the hardwood and the legacy he was creating.
Also read: 7’0″ Shaquille O’Neal is a Hall of Famer but his kids prefer Kobe Bryant and LeBron James
Paul Pierce once got his headband thrown back at him after throwing it to fans in Brooklyn
Pierce played the majority of his career in Boston. In 15 years he averaged close to 22 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.5 steals a game and made 10x All-Star teams and 4x All-NBA teams.
He alongside Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo led the Cs to a championship in 2008, which is their only one in the last 36 years. The 2008 Finals MVP is a true legend in Celtics history and did enough there to earn himself arguably the greatest name of all time “The Truth”, given to him by none other than Shaquille O’Neal.
By 2013 the Kansas forward had done enough to get himself into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, but he wasn’t done. He decided to play elsewhere, starting with the Nets in the 2013-14 season.
It was there when the $70 million worth man learned that fans around the league except for most Bostonians literally hated him even if he was playing for their side. This one incident especially must have given him some reality check on that.
Never forget this fan wanted NOTHING to do with Paul Pierce’s headband. 💀
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 5, 2021
Imagine being a fan and getting merch thrown at you by a legend of the game. The amount of hate you’d need to throw it back, even if the player belonged to a rival team, would be immense.