Paul Pierce, “The Truth” and nothing but the Truth, has re-signed with the Boston Celtics; his prime team where he played 15 seasons and brought a championship in 2008.
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A 13 time all-star and 2008 MVP, Pierce is now 39 and is considered a hall of famer. The Truth re-signed with the Celtics on the 17th, just past this Monday, not to start another career but to retire his former flame rightfully in the Celtic’s Garden.
Pierce had always wanted to retire as a Celtic after unluckily being traded away to the Brooklyn Nets with his Big Three companion, Kevin Garnet.
Garnet retired last year and after Pierce’s unsuccessful run with the coach Doc Rivers and the L.A Clippers this season, “The Truth” has retired from the game.
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In a last moment wish, the Celtics has granted Pierce a one-day contract in which he becomes a Celtic again for another day and successfully retiring as the Emerald knight he once was.
On Monday, Pierce returned to Celtic’s training center for one last time to don the Celtic’s jersey and his signature shoe for practice.
Danny Ainge, President of Boston Basketball, accompanied Pierce through the training center as they reminisced Pierce’s playing days. Pierce jokingly wore the Net’s home trousers that day.
“Hey Danny, see this?” said Paul Pierce, tugging at the silver and black of the Nets. “This is where you sent me!”
Still with his sense of humor, Pierce had only love and respect for his home team.
“It’s an honor to have this opportunity to once again call myself a Boston Celtic,” Pierce said in a statement.
“The organization and city took me in and made me one of their own, and I couldn’t imagine ending my career any other way. I’m a Celtic for life.”
Looking back at his career as the 10th pick by the Celtics in 1998, his rookie season wasn’t really great with a lot of pressure from the lime light on his shoulder to be great.
With all the losses by the young Celtics team, Pierce had to improve to keep up with the game. However, in 2000, as Pierce was attending a private party, he was stabbed 11 times to leave him in critical condition.
Thanks to his thick leather jacket, he didn’t have any fatal injuries and was able to play on the team soon enough. The incident left him thinking about his career, basketball, his family and life itself.
7 years down the lane, with the help of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the Celtics won their much awaited championship against the Laker’s Kobe and Shaq duo. Pierce also won the MVP and was regarded one of the top tier players in the NBA at the time.
Shortly after being unexpectedly traded to the Nets in 2013, Pierce averaged relatively lower points and rebounds although he was still with his former teammate Kevin Garnett.
Whenever he makes an appearance in the Garden with another team (L.A Clippers, Washington Wizards or Brooklyn Nets) the crowd makes sure to chant his name and let him know their gratitude for the game he played in the Celtics.
In his last game with the Celtics as a Clipper, he got a standing ovation from the crowd and as he scored down his last buzzer beater shot, the crowd went wild.
As he steps away from the game, his jersey #34 will go up into the Garden in the coming months to be forever retired with the Celtics.
Paul Pierce will start a career with ESPN as a basketball analyst with 19 years of professional basketball as portfolio. Boston Celtics will remember the “Truth” as a veteran one of their own.
“This is where I started,” Pierce said, “and now I get to finish here too.”
