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Boston Celtics: Tribute Video Mess no Reason For Slander

By Joshua Bateman

BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 5: Paul Pierce #34 of the LA Clippers and Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics are seen after the game on February 5, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - FEBRUARY 5: Paul Pierce #34 of the LA Clippers and Isaiah Thomas #4 of the Boston Celtics are seen after the game on February 5, 2017 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The tribute video mess is no reason to start slandering Isaiah Thomas or Paul Pierce, when both should clearly be celebrated

Just when you though Isaiah Thomas put an end to this tribute video saga by telling the Boston Celtics to leave the night for only Paul Pierce, the drama kept on following. There is a case to be made on both sides of things here, but arguing one way or another has turned into slander of one of the players, and that defeats the purpose of everything that is supposed to happen for the two of them.

If you are arguing that Pierce was not great enough of a Celtic to deserve his own night of celebrating, you are a lunatic and know absolutely nothing about the Celtics. If you think just because Thomas was only on the team for three seasons that he should not be celebrated, you obviously did not see how much he sacrificed and how much the fans embraced him.

Obviously, this whole situation could have been handled a lot differently by everyone. Piece made it clear that he wanted his own night, and there is nothing wrong with that. Unfortunately, that turned into people saying Thomas did not deserve a tribute video at all.

Yes it would have been easier to just do the tribute video in their last meeting, where Thomas did not play. Thomas’ issues, however, were all legitimate, because who wouldn’t want their family to be there as the most significant part of their career is celebrated.

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The fact that Thomas was only here for three seasons and never even got the Celtics to the finals is just completely ignoring every bit of context available. No the Celtics do not celebrate conference championships, but every single fan recognized what Thomas meant to this team, and after everything he gave and sacrificed, he probably deserves a lot more than just a tribute video in front of his family.

Just because Thomas’ tribute video should not interrupt Pierce’s night, it is never going to be a good excuse to slander anything about what Thomas did in his time with the Celtics. The opposite, however, is also true. Somehow, this saga has brought out some Pierce haters who clearly have no understanding whatsoever of the kind of player that he was.

There is no room for debate on this one, Pierce is a certified Celtics legend, and just because the Celtics have a few other legends that might rank higher than him, that takes nothing away from the run he went on with this team.

Keep in mind, Pierce is the only real rival LeBron James even had in the East, and he is the reason that he originally left Cleveland for Miami. Pierce was a generational talent that could carry a team on both ends, and the moment he got the help he needed, he ended the longest championship drought in the history of the franchise.

When you look at Pierce’s career ranks in the history of the Cetics, you look like a complete fool coming out and slandering the lasting impact of his legacy.

There should be absolutely no debate that Thomas deserves a tribute video, and there is no question that Pierce deserves his own night. Say what you want about how either of them mis handled the situation, but you are defeating the whole purpose of the video and the ceremony by breaking down either one of them to try and justify the position of the other.

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Hopefully this will be the end of this saga, and we can finally get to celebrating both Thomas and Pierce, because there should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that both of them should be celebrated by the Celtics this season.

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