Paul Pierce is one of the greatest the league has ever seen. The Celtics legend was recently on Keyshawn Johnson’s Podcast, ‘All Facts No Breaks with Keyshawn J’. While on the show, Pierce was asked about the origins of his iconic nickname. He answered,
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“I got the nickname from Shaq…it was my third or fourth year. I just dropped 40 on the Lakers, 42 in Staples…It was against him [Shaquille O’Neal]…it was my third year, dunking on them…After the game, Shaq told one of the reporters from Boston, ‘He the motherfu*king truth.'”
He finished the story by claiming that the next day, the Boston newspaper had the headline, “Paul Pierce ‘the Truth'” and since then, this name stuck, as per Pierce. The then-youngster was extremely happy and proud to get a moniker from Shaq himself as he motivated himself to live up to the expectation, which he did with his game.
To drop 42 points on the ‘Kobe-Shaq’ Lakers was a jaw-dropping feat for any player, let alone a third-year youngster. This was no ordinary performance by Pierce, as the Truth dropped 42 points in just 38 minutes of play, shooting 42% from the three-point and making 13 of 19 field goals. Even though Pierce had a career night on March 13, the Lakers managed to edge out Boston, winning 112-107.
Shaq explained the beginning of Paul Pierce’s moniker
Shaquille O’Neal is known for multiple talents including an uncanny ability to come up with player monikers. The Big Fella not only came up with flashy names for himself but also gave similar names to a select few, for example, Wade, the Flash; Tim Duncan, the Big Fundamental; and Paul Pierce, the Truth. Several youngsters were inspired by the big fella and were mesmerized every time they got an opportunity to play against the legend himself.
In fact, in the case of Pierce, Shaq personally went to a reporter and told the media person to write down his quotes about him. Shaq dedicated an essay to his former Boston teammate, titled “The Truth”, where he detailed the beginnings of Pierce’s moniker. Talking about the incident, Shaq recalled,
“I noticed he wasn’t just like everybody else. He was just hard to guard. And I was just, like, ‘Man, this dude is the truth!’ So after the game, I pulled aside Celtics beat writer Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald, I looked him in the eyes and pointed to his pad. And I said, ‘Take this down. My name is Shaquille O’Neal and Paul Pierce is the truth.’ “
Pierce had Shaq’s respect after the third-year player dropped 42 on Shaq and the Lakers. Monikers aside, Pierce is one of the great players of his generation. With the NBA having moved along since his retirement, many have forgotten the force that he was in his prime.
The 2007-08 NBA champion led the team in scoring in their championship run, alongside other stars like Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo.
