There’s no doubting that Paul Pierce is a Celtics legend and one of the best to ever wear green and white. And for that, we should all be thankful.
Dear Paul Pierce,
I’m writing to you today because I have several things to say as your career has now come to a close. Let me start off by saying, “Thank-you for everything.” You came to this Celtics franchise as a young 20-year-old out of the University of Kansas in 1998 and left via trade in 2013 as a champion and a Boston sports legend.
There were surely some speed bumps here and there as you carved out your legacy in green and white. As I’m sure you can remember, Boston didn’t make the playoffs until your fourth season in 2001-02. That was a heck of a season, wasn’t it? You and the boys took this storied franchise from not making the playoffs the season before to the Eastern Conference Finals. It was too bad it had to end there before another championship matchup with those bums from Los Angeles. Sorry, I know you’re from that area. I’ll try to speak better of them going forward. No promises though.
One of the many memories I have of your career here was that incredible 46-point second half you had against the New Jersey Nets during that season. You eat your Wheaties that morning? Yeah, you only had two points in the first half, but who’s counting? Forty-six points in one half is insane. I remember sitting on my couch watching you hit shot after shot after shot. To this day, it is still one of the most entertaining halves of basketball I have ever witnessed, and for that, I say “Thank-you.”
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That was also the year your signature “The Truth” nickname was given to you by another one of my favorite players, Shaquille O’Neal. And yes, I know he was a Laker. I always wanted you to lay the smack down on him and the Lakers, but the dude is an incredibly funny man. Don’t worry though, you’ve always been my boy.
I honestly don’t even remember before you had that nickname. As far as I’m concerned, you always have been and always will be the truth. You laid it all on the line and brought it 110% every game. You didn’t just lace up the high tops and step onto the garden floor to collect a paycheck, you were there to win. If that’s not the truth than I don’t know what is.
One area I often wish would come back in today’s NBA is the old school trash talking. I’m not old enough to have watched Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, but I was gratefully able to watch the tail end of Michael Jordan’s career and see all the nice smack talk he dished out. I love that type of stuff. It shows that a player has both confidence and a desire to win. You know there I’m going with this don’t you?
During the 2003 NBA playoffs against Indiana, you brought back that old-school smack talk. I’m sure you remember dribbling up the left side of the court jawing at Al Harrington. Not only did you tell him you were going to drain a shot over him, you told him exactly where you were going to do it. But did he listen? Nope. He should have though. Did he think you were given “The Truth” nickname because you lie? Silly Al.
Let’s jump ahead a few years to the summer of 2007. Man was that a great summer. I was heading int0 my senior year of high school unaware that the next great Boston Celtics team was about to be assembled. I give you all the credit in the world. After winning only 24 games the previous season, you could’ve demanded a trade to a contender to win a ring, but you didn’t. Nobody could really have blamed you if you had though. You had just finished your 9th season in the league and Boston wasn’t really going anywhere.
Lots of guys probably would’ve tried to get out of town as quickly as possible. You didn’t though. You wanted to win a ring with the team that drafted you and for the city of Boston. I may never have lived in Boston, but growing up as a diehard New England sports fan has surely given me a sense of appreciation for what the city is all about. Winning a championship is great wherever you are, but there’s something additionally special about winning in Boston.
Thankfully for all of us, you stayed a Celtic and Ainge made sure there was a damn good team around you. In what seemed like the blink of an eye, we went from having just you to having Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen too. I think it’s safe to say myself, and the rest of Celtics Nation were just a tad excited heading into that 2007-08 season.
As we’ve seen with recent superstar-laden teams, it usually takes a while for multiple star players to gel as one functional unit. That wasn’t the case with you, Kevin, and Ray though. Whether it was that pre-season trip to Italy or some other occasion, you guys seemed to mesh right off the bat. It wasn’t that hard to see why either. The three of you all had the same goal in mind, and that was to win a championship.
Sixty-Six regular season wins and four thrilling playoff series later, and you’re hoisting that championship trophy in front of thousands of screaming Boston fans. That had to have been quite the experience. I’ve always said that Boston Celtics fans are the most loyal and passionate in all of sports, and you gave them something they hadn’t had in 22 long years. You finally brought that championship to the city of Boston.
You were already beloved by the fans, but in that moment, you became a Boston sports legend. I unfortunately wasn’t around to see the 1986 championship so this was my first time seeing the team I’ve been so passionate about win the ultimate prize. I will forever be thankful for that.
There have been so many other moments in your illustrious career that have brought joy to me and so many other Celtics fans, but I’m getting a little long in this letter and I know you’re a busy man these days. Great job as an analyst during these playoffs by the way. I think you might have found your next step in your career.
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I’ll end this by saying thank you one more time. Thank-you for everything you have brought to this team, this city, and this fan base. We will forever be thankful. I hope we gave you the sendoff you deserved in that last game you played at the TD Garden. You sure deserved it and so much more. Soon enough, your number 34 will hang up in the rafters next to all the other Celtics greats, never to be worn again. Congratulations on the incredible career and don’t be a stranger.
Your’s Truly,
The Boston Celtics Fans