Paul Pierce was a native of Inglewood, California, which presumably made him grow an affinity towards Magic Johnson and the Los Angeles Lakers. Growing up, Pierce claimed to be a big-time Lakers fan and would later be trained as well by Magic Johnson while playing summer ball at UCLA in 1998-99. During this period, Pierce received some incredibly valuable advice from the 5x NBA champion on various things, from improving his handles to some real-life wisdom that the prodigy needed as a budding star.
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Johnson already knew about the rough neighborhood that Pierce grew up in and perceived the negative impact his environment could have on him as he became an NBA star. Cautioning the then-young Celtics rookie, Johnson advised Pierce to leave the streets behind and not put himself in a position that would jeopardize his position and standing in the NBA.
Here is an excerpt from Magic’s book When the Game Was Ours, which notes Johnson’s advice to a young Paul Pierce:
He [Pierce] also cautioned Pierce “to leave the street behind” as he made his climb to the NBA elite. “You can’t be hanging on that corner anymore,” he told Pierce. “You can see your guys, say hello, but then you’ve got to keep on moving. You have
different responsibilities now. They just can’t be a central part of your life anymore. You can see them once in a while, help ’em out if you want, but there’s too much at stake to find yourself in a position that just doesn’t make sense.”
Magic had counseled Pierce to remain humble and modest throughout his NBA career, which would go on to enhance his reputation with his growing stardom. Johnson’s ideals were strong to the core, which always made him an incredibly loved and adored basketball superstar during his playing days. Even nowadays, Johnson’s words should resonate quite heavily with the new generation of players, who often find themselves embroiled in controversy due to their actions.
When Ja Morant was entangled in his gun-flashing controversy, he received advice from multiple people, including NFL legend Shannon Sharpe and Atlanta Hawks legend Dominique Wilkins. Both Wilkins and Sharpe were concerned about Morant, who was setting a dangerous precedent with his actions. Magic’s concern for Paul Pierce was similar, wherein the 3x MVP believed that any association with the wrong people could be detrimental to the Celtics legend’s career.
In retrospect, Pierce adhered to Magic Johnson’s words, which allowed him to have a long and flourishing career. The Celtics legend avoided major controversies for the most part in his career and even won an NBA Championship in 2008.
Paul Pierce fondly remembers his time playing pickup games against Magic Johnson
The 1998-99 UCLA Summer Ball was indeed one of the highlight moments for Paul Pierce before entering the NBA. As ‘The Truth’ revealed during an appearance on ‘All The Smoke,’ Johnson arrived with some other ‘old dudes’ to play against Paul Pierce and his other young teammates at the UCLA campus. Johnson attempted to win a game tied at 6 a piece (1s and 2s to 7) with a mini hook shot. However, he would miss that shot, leading Pierce’s team to score on the opposite end of the floor.
After conceding a bucket, Magic called a foul on the play where he missed his potential game-winner while being guarded by Pierce. Indeed, this was a fun and wholesome moment that Pierce got to experience before his draft, while also being mentored by his childhood idol.
