Paul Pierce couldn’t be more underrated in the annals of NBA history. Yes, as an analyst he was downright bad. However, as a player? This man was a bona fide killer. Really, the only reason he isn’t a bigger name in NBA history is because of the existence of Kobe Bryant. And it appears that his former teammate, Shaquille O’Neal felt he had to remind the world of that fact. So, the man decided to give a little throwback to one of the coldest moments in NBA history on his Instagram that happened at the expense of a man worth $40,000,000.
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Despite often being remembered as nothing more than the Black Mamba’s not-so-great opponent, Pierce’s career was something most players drool at. Not only did he win an NBA championship and Finals MVP with the Celtics in 2008, but he actually did it over Bryant. Admittedly, that is something that needs to be paid more heed to.
He was also a 10-time All-Star, had 4 All-NBA selections, and was part of the NBA 75th Anniversary team. And while that sounds amazing, how could you not be, if you came up with some of the most incredible moments in NBA history?
Paul Pierce put Al Harrington on the wrong side of history, as Shaquille O’Neal shares
In 2003, the Boston Celtics faced off against the Indiana Pacers in the first round. Paul Pierce was about 26 years old at the time, at the beginning edge of his prime, and starting to show it too.
Games 1 and 3 were taken by the Celtics in this stellar series, while Game 2 was won by the Pacers, making it of tantamount importance that they win Game 4. But, did Pierce have a care in the world for that? Nope.
Instead, as he had Al Harrington on him, and a chance to solidify the Celtics’ offense at the end of the 3rd quarter, he spent significant time talking some serious smack. And then, he created a moment that the Pacers defender likely has nightmares about to this day. Take a look at the Instagram post by ‘BostonSportsThrowback’ to witness this moment in human history.
View this post on Instagram
This was a shot that was the result of the two talking smack vehemently since the very start of the third quarter. And Pierce not only made sure of a climactic finish but also led the Celtics to close this one out in 6 games.
As a man that has openly been a fan of Paul Pierce’s game since way back, Shaquille O’Neal just couldn’t help but share this post. Here is a tweet below to show you a screenshot of his Instagram story.
Shaq shares one of Paul Pierce’s most iconic moments pic.twitter.com/v698vaMszm
— tragicpatek (@tragicpatek) June 6, 2023
Simply put, Paul Pierce was a spectacular player, great even. However, was he great enough to be considered the GOAT? He certainly thinks so.
Pierce once openly said that he was the GOAT
No, we’re not joking. In fact, he even said this even came out in 2023, despite it being agreed upon that the GOAT conversation is between Michael Jordan and LeBron James.
In a now infamous tweet, the man decided to be quite the infuriating figure for the NBA community at large. And while Michael Jordan may not care too much for it, we’re not sure LeBron James will be quite as forgiving. Read all about what he did, right here.
