It’s hard to believe but there was a time when the Boston Celtics weren’t a top team. You’ve gotta hand it to them, though, they had a solid start—winning almost 11 successive titles from 1957 through the following decade. Following that, if the trophy wasn’t residing in Bean Town, they pretty much remained in the championship conversation until the late ’80s. Despite their rich, dynasty-defining imprint on NBA history, something changed in the early ’90s. The combination of Larry Bird inevitably calling time on his storied legacy, then the tragedy of Reggie Lewis, passing away in 1993 meant that some shaky seasons followed.

Sure, some solid draft picks made for potential franchise players (we see you, Toine), and there were a couple of savvy signings (much love, Dana). But chemistry lacked and the newly built TD Garden (then the FleetCenter) felt like an unworthy new address for the banners imported from their old home. Boston’s lack of success would be reflected in their notable absence from the first five years of SLAM covers (not counting iconic gatefold joints), with a worthy face not emerging until 1999—Issue 35, to be exact.

In the 1998 NBA Draft, the Celtics would use their 10th pick to select Paul Pierce. Despite Pierce’s hatred of the franchise (understandable, being from Cali), he would prove to be an excellent choice, putting up numbers that placed him in the Rookie of the Year conversation toward the end of the ’98-99 season.

This conversation was seemingly wide open and crashed into the SLAM offices in what would prove to be a toxic fashion. Some team members chose Vince (the eventual Rookie of the Year), Scoop was counting on J-Will and Tony G had The Truth as his pick. “If we were a band, we would’ve split up,” was how Tony described how real it got at the SLAM Dome. Three dope covers was the compromise and, as a result, the Celtics would solidify their biggest basketball achievement of that particular decade: their first solo SLAM cover.

Boston’s journey to the championship over these past few years has been a long flight with turbulence. I know I speak for the worldwide hoops community when I say that it’s dope to see such a storied franchise continuing to build on its legacy and reclaim its place as the best in NBA history.

No doubt.

The post The SLAM Archives: SLAM 35 Featuring Paul Pierce From August of 1999 appeared first on SLAM.

The three-time All-Star officially passed the three-time MVP for most 50-point games in Boston Celtics history after he scored a season-high 51 points on 15-23 shooting from the field, 7-12 from beyond the arc, and a perfect 14-14 from the charity stripe to lead Boston to a 130-118 win over Charlotte. Tatum has posted more 50-point games than Bird and Paul Pierce COMBINED.

“He makes me look like a better coach,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said per ESPN. “He didn’t settle for shots; he got catch-and-shoots, he got off the dribbles, he got layups. The other piece of that is the humility of our team to really work with him to get those 51 points.”

JAYSON TATUM 51 PIECE

HE DROPPED 18 PTS IN Q4 pic.twitter.com/dinmve9N8T

— NBA (@NBA) January 16, 2023

Tatum’s 51-point effort was his first 50-point outing since he scored 54 and 51 last season and notched a career-high 60 points during the 2020-21 campaign. Tatum has tied Gilbert Arenas for the third-best scoring performance on MLK Day after Agent Zero dropped 51 points in 2007.

“It’s been a while since I scored 50,” Tatum said per Yahoo Sports. “So I needed that one.”

Tatum scored his 51st point with 38 seconds left after knocking down his seventh triple of the evening, which drew “MVP ” chants from the Charlotte crowd. After Charlotte cut Boston’s lead to 98-95 following a pair of free throws from Jaden McDaniels, Tatum came in and responded with 18 fourth-quarter points to put the game out of reach.

Boston (33-12) holds the top spot in the League after Tuesday and is 4.5 games ahead of Brooklyn (27-15) for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

The post Jayson Tatum Breaks Boston Record For Most 50-Point Games appeared first on SLAM.

However, the two threes that Thompson hit moved him into some very elite NBA company. Coming off a recent game where he had just moved up to 13th in the NBA’s all-time made three-pointers list, Thompson is also the 13th NBA player ever to make 2,000 career three-pointers.

Thompson now joins Stephen Curry, Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, James Harden, Kyle Korver, Vince Carter, Jason Terry, Jamal Crawford, Damian Lillard, LeBron James, Kyle Lowry, and Paul Pierce as the only NBA players ever to accomplish such a milestone.

Becoming a part of such an elite group of sharpshooters must feel great to Thompson after battling his way back to form after suffering an Achilles injury in 2020 after just returning from an ACL injury in 2019.

This 2023 season has been sort of a “revenge tour” for Thompson, as he has trying to block out the noise and prove to the doubters that he’s still got it. Admittedly Thompson has come out and said that comments about his game “slipping” have hurt, but he knows that he can’t please everybody.

While it is a great career moment for Thompson, he and the Warriors look to get back on the winning track Thursday against the Indiana Pacers.

The post Klay Thompson Becomes the 13th NBA Player to Knock Down 2K Threes appeared first on SLAM.

At this point in the list, we’re getting into dynasty territory. Clutch moments and high-pressure situations were the norm for these squads, many of whom won multiple championships over a three to five year period. Different.

From iconic three-peats to historic dubs, here’s our picks for No. 32-22:

32. 2004-05 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 59-23

Roster: Brent Barry, Bruce Bowen, Devin Brown, Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Dion Glover, Robert Horry, Linton Johnson, Sean Marks, Tony Massenburg, Nazr Mohammed, Rasho Nesterovic, Tony Parker, Glenn Robinson, Malik Rose, Beno Udrih, Mike Wilks

The Spurs and Pistons came into the season having split the previous two NBA championships, and both upset higher-seeded opponents (the Suns and Heat, respectively) in the Conference Finals that spring. That set up a title bout that made up for a relative lack of star power with heavyweight intensity and dominant D. Five of seven Finals games ended with the losing team not breaking 80 points. The series ended with Tim Duncan securing his third ring.

31. 1963-64 Boston Celtics

Coach: Red Auerbach

Record: 59-21

Roster: John Havlicek, Tom Heinsohn, KC Jones, Sam Jones, Jim Loscutoff, Clyde Lovellette, Johnny McCarthy, Willie Naulls, Frank Ramsey, Bill Russell, Tom Sanders, Larry Siegfried

Yawn, another title run, but at least Boston got a new Finals opponent to break up the monotony. The San Francisco Warriors tried to play immovable object to the Celtics’ unstoppable force, and in Wilt Chamberlain, the Dubs at least had the firepower. But Boston had the balance, experience and pedigree: John Havlicek and Sam Jones led the offense, and Bill Russell did his usual work, dominating defensively and on the glass to lead Boston to its seventh championship in eight tries.

30. 1969-70 New York Knicks

Coach: Red Holzman

Record: 60-22

Roster: Dick Barnett, Nate Bowman, Bill Bradley, Dave DeBusschere, Walt Frazier, Bill Hosket, Don May, Willis Reed, Mike Riordan, Cazzie Russell, Dave Stallworth, John Warren

When a new decade brought an end to the Celtics’ dominance, the Knicks asserted themselves as the class of the League. Behind MVP Willis Reed’s 21.7 ppg and 13.9 rpg and Walt Frazier’s stylish 20.9 points and 8.2 dimes per, New York rolled to the League’s best record and a Finals meeting with the Lakers. What followed was a seven-game classic against West, Wilt and Baylor, best remembered for Reed’s Game 7 effort on a bum leg that inspired his teammates to victory.

29. 1981-82 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Paul Westhead, Pat Riley

Record: 57-25

Roster: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Jim Brewer, Michael Cooper, Clay Johnson, Magic Johnson,Eddie Jordan, Mitch Kupchak, Mark Landsberger, Bob McAdoo, Mike McGee, Kevin  McKenna, Norm Nixon, Kurt Rambis, Jamaal Wilkes

Pat Riley was second choice. When Paul Westhead was fired (at Magic Johnson’s urging) 11 games into the ’81-82 season, Lakers owner Jerry Buss named Jerry West head coach. Only West didn’t want it, so Riley—the former player turned broadcaster turned inexperienced assistant—got the gig. Duly motivated, Magic, Kareem and Jamaal Wilkes led L.A. back to the Finals, where they bounced the Sixers in six. Showtime was in effect, and one of the greatest coaching careers was born.

28. 2001-02 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 58-24

Roster: Kobe Bryant, Joe Crispin, Derek Fisher, Rick Fox, Devean George, Robert Horry, Lindsey Hunter, Mark Madsen, Jelani McCoy, Stanislav Medvedenko, Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Penberthy, Mitch Richmond, Brian Shaw, Samaki Walker

The third title of the Shaq-Kobe axis didn’t come easily. That Western Finals series with Sacramento was brutal, and there were those who thought the Lakers shouldn’t have won it. But they did, and then L.A. dusted Jersey in the Finals, behind another overpowering performance from O’Neal. The dynamic duo was again tremendous, while Derek Fisher provided stability at the point, and supporting players like Rick Fox and Robert Horry stepped up when needed.

27. 2006-07 San Antonio Spurs

Coach: Gregg Popovich

Record: 58-24

Roster: Brent Barry, Matt Bonner, Bruce Bowen, Jackie Butler, Tim Duncan, Francisco Elson, Melvin Ely, Michael Finley, Manu Ginobili, Robert Horry, Fabricio Oberto, Tony Parker, Beno Udrih, Jacque Vaughn, James White, Eric Williams

These Spurs scored when they needed to, and they moved the ball like no one else. But the real strength of the team was on defense, where San Antonio could stifle rivals, just like it did Cleveland in the Finals sweep. Tim Duncan was a no-frills frontcourt star, with point guard Tony Parker’s creativity and Manu Ginobili’s flair and passion the keys to the team’s success. Role players like Bruce Bowen and Michael Finley helped complete a pure team.

26. 1980-81 Boston Celtics

Coach: Bill Fitch

Record: 62-20

Roster: Tiny Archibald, Larry Bird, ML Carr, Terry Duerod, Eric Fernsten, Chris Ford, Gerald Henderson, Wayne Kreklow, Cedric Maxwell, Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, Rick Robey

After Magic Johnson got his title in 1980, it was Larry Bird’s turn. He and the Celtics waged a year-long battle with the Sixers that culminated with a seven-game Eastern Finals series that featured three big Boston comebacks. Kevin McHale and Robert Parish were interior forces, while Tiny Archibald, Chris Ford and Cedric Maxwell patrolled the perimeter. The Rockets were tough in the Finals, but they weren’t tough enough to stop the Celtics machine.

25. 1989-90 Detroit Pistons

Coach: Chuck Daly

Record: 59-23

Roster: Mark Aguirre, William Bedford, Joe Dumars, James Edwards, Dave Greenwood, Scott Hastings, Gerald Henderson, Vinnie Johnson, Stan Kimbrough, Bill Laimbeer, Ralph Lewis, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Isiah Thomas

The Bad Boys went back-to-back with the same formula that won their first title: ferocious defense, timely offense and a Mean Streets attitude. Isiah Thomas smiled a lot, but he was a killer. Joe Dumars quietly piled up the points. Bill Laimbeer made no friends inside. Dennis Rodman rebounded and defended like a dervish. Mark Aguirre scored in many ways. James Edwards was a force in the post. And nobody wanted to mess with John Salley.

24. 2008-09 Los Angeles Lakers

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 65-17

Roster: Trevor Ariza, Shannon Brown, Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum, Jordan Farmar, Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol, DJ Mbenga, Chris Mihm, Adam Morrison, Lamar Odom, Josh Powell, Vladimir Radmanovic, Sasha Vujacic, Luke Walton, Sun Yue

The first of back-to-back titles was Kobe Bryant’s initial one as undisputed leader of the Lakers and redemption for the Mamba. A year after losing in the Finals to ancestral rival Boston, the Lakers piled up 65 wins—third most in franchise history—with Bryant leading the way but receiving plenty of help from Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum inside. The anticipated Finals matchup with Cleveland and LeBron James didn’t happen, so L.A. whipped Orlando instead.

23. 2007-08 Boston Celtics

Coach: Doc Rivers

Record: 66-16

Roster: Ray Allen, Tony Allen, PJ Brown, Sam Cassell, Glen Davis, Kevin Garnett, Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins, Paul Pierce, Scot Pollard, James Posey, Leon Powe, Gabe Pruitt, Rajon Rondo, Brian Scalabrine

Depending on how you define it, the Super Team era started in Boston in the summer of ’07, when future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce to give the Celtics their best team in (at least) 20 years. Behind Pierce’s scoring, Allen’s shooting and KG’s two-way play, the Cs posted an NBA-high 66 wins and bounced LeBron and the Cavs en route to the Finals, where they renewed their rivalry with the Lakers. Not long after, they hung banner No. 17.

22. 1992-93 Chicago Bulls

Coach: Phil Jackson

Record: 57-25

Roster: BJ Armstrong, Ricky Blanton, Bill Cartwright, Joe Courtney, Jo Jo English, Horace Grant, Michael Jordan, Stacey King, Rodney McCray, Ed Nealy, John Paxson, Will Perdue, Scottie Pippen, Trent Tucker, Darrell Walker, Corey Williams, Scott Williams

The Lakers and Pistons had taken some of the magic out of title repeats by the time the Bulls
won their second straight, but no team since the Celtics’ ’60s dynasty had won three in a row. The Bulls felt like making history. The formula by now was familiar: Jordan averaged League-
highs in points (32.6) and steals (2.8), Scottie Pippen was a terror at both ends and Chicago made the big plays when it mattered, edging Barkley and the Suns in the Finals to seal the threepeat.

Read here to find out who made it on the rest of the list, including No. 75-66, 65-55, 54-44 and 43-33.

Get your copy of SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams Of All Time

The post SLAM’s TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time: No. 32-22 appeared first on SLAM.

Two seconds later, a 25-year-old Pierce side-stepped to his left and launched a trey ball to the back of the rim and through the net as TD Garden exploded.

Coming off the heels of a first-round sweep against the Brooklyn Nets, Celtics star forward Jayson Tatum dished out some commentary on Pierce’s clutch step-back bucket.

Jayson Tatum shares his thoughts on this big-time Paul Pierce shot from this day in 2003! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/qiVVdgk4Nl

— NBA History (@NBAHistory) April 27, 2022

“I felt like he told him what he was about to do. Talking to him, side-step trey ball in the Garden. Something I might do,” Tatum said.

Tatum’s duffy has been on full display since hitting a game-winning layup in Game 1 against the Nets at home, while the side-step trey ball has been a staple in the young star’s bountiful arsenal of offensive weapons. In their sweep against Brooklyn, Tatum averaged a team-high 29.5 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game while shooting a scintillating 41.9 percent from beyond the arc.

He’s taken the step as a two-way superstar against one of the game’s best scoring threats, holding Kevin Durant to just 12 points and 3-18 shooting as his primary defender throughout the series.

With Milwaukee entering Game 5 tonight against the Chicago Bulls with a 3-1 lead, the Celtics and Tatum might soon find their matchup for the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The post Jayson Tatum Shares His Thoughts on Paul Pierce’s Clutch Three 19 Years Later appeared first on SLAM.

According to The Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn, the Celtics are looking to reunite the 2008 championship-winning team at Kevin Garnett’s jersey retirement ceremony on Sunday night.

Notably, Ray Allen, part of the Celtics’ infamous “Big Three,” is also on the invite list for the Sunday night game. Allen and Garnett have publicly spoken about their rift over the past few years, stemming from Allen’s decision to leave the Celtics in 2012.

However, when Garnett appeared on the Showtime Basketball show, the Big Ticket said that he and Allen settled their issues at the NBA-75 ceremony during the All-Star Game in February.

Garnett, Allen, and Paul Pierce made up the dominant Celtics’ “Big Three.” in the Eastern Conference, appearing in three Eastern Conference finals, two NBA Finals, and winning one NBA Championship between 2008 and 2012.

The trio would eventually be broken up when Allen elected to join the Heat in free agency in 2012, and Pierce and Garnett were traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013.

The Garnett jersey retirement will be before the Celtics game against the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday afternoon.

The post REPORT: Celtics to Invite Ray Allen to Kevin Garnett Jersey Retirement appeared first on SLAM.

A new hypothetical has hit the horizon as former Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce reveals that he was nearly traded to the the Dallas Mavericks in 2007.

In an article in Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, Pierce discusses the events leading to the near-trade, one that would have allowed him to team up with All-Stars Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd.

“I’m in my Prime and I’m watching all these other guys in the playoffs,” Pierce told Mannix. “It was depressing I thought was out of there. I thought it was over.”

Pierce goes on to recount meeting Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in Las Vegas and telling the gregarious billionaire, “I’m your missing piece.”

Chiming in on Twitter, Cuban recalls that there was indeed a three-team trade orchestrated to bring Pierce to Dallas but that the deal fell through because one of the team’s was unwilling to send a first-round draft pick to the Celtics.

It gets better. We had a deal done. We had a 3 way trade done. All teams agreed to their part of the deal. When we get on the trade call, the 3rd team killed the deal because they didnt know that a first was going to the Celtics. They chose not to do the deal at all.

— Mark Cuban (@mcuban) September 7, 2021

In the 2006-07 season, Boston went 24-58, the second-worst record in the NBA prior to Pierce’s trade request.

However, the Celtics would go on to acquire star guard Ray Allen in the 2007 offseason in a draft day trade involving Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West before trading for former Minnesota Timberwolves cornerstone Kevin Garnett a month later.

While Boston would go on to win the 2008 NBA Championship after defeating Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in one of the most memorable NBA Finals matchups of all-time, the Mavericks would take down the newly-formed Miami Heat “Big Three” in 2011, in what was another unforgettable moment in hardwood history.

All’s well that ends well, as they say.

The post Paul Pierce, Mark Cuban Recount Near Blockbuster Trade Between Celtics and Mavericks appeared first on SLAM.

There are seven players nominated for their contributions as NBA players:

Two-time NBA Champion and 11-time All-Star forward Chris Bosh; 2008 NBA Finals MVP and 10-time All-Star forward Paul Pierce; 1987 Defensive Player of the Year and five-time All-Star shooting guard Michael Cooper are finalists for the first time.

Chris Webber, Tim Hardaway and Marques Johnson — all of whom were five-time All-Stars — are all reappearing as finalists, along with former center Ben Wallace, a four-time Defensive Player of the Year.

There are two WNBA players nominated for the Hall of Fame class this year in Lauren Jackson and Yolanda Griffith.

Jackson played 12 seasons with the Seattle Storm and averaged 18.9 points and 7.7 rebounds during her career. She also appeared in seven WNBA All-Star Games, won the WNBA MVP award three times and won the WNBA Championship twice.

Griffith played 11 seasons in the WNBA and is most remembered for her nine-year stint with the Sacramento Monarchs. Griffith averaged 13.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game over her career and was a seven-time WNBA All-Star and the 1999 WNBA MVP.

There are five people nominated for their contributions as coaches to the game of basketball and two have been nominated as NBA coaches: Rick Adelman and Bill Russell.

Adelman coached five NBA teams over 23 years (the Portland Trail Blazers, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves). The 74-year-old ended his coaching career ninth all-time in wins with a record of 1042-749 and appeared in two NBA Finals.

Russell is already a member of the Hall of Fame as a player but is being re-nominated for his contributions as the NBA’s first Black head coach. Russell spent eight seasons as an NBA head coach with the Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics and Kings, finishing his coaching career with a record of 341-290.

The only men’s collegiate coach to be nominated is Villanova Wildcats’ head coach Jay Wright.

Wright has spent 27 seasons as an NCAA head coach, coaching Hofstra and Villanova. Wright has won two National Championships, two Coach of the Year awards and was a recipient of the John R. Wooden “Legends in Coaching” award in 2018.

Two coaches are nominated in women’s basketball: Marianne Stanley and Leta Andrews.

Stanley had success in both the NCAA and the WNBA and has spent over 40 years coaching. Currently the head coach of the WNBA’s Indiana Fever, won an NCAA Championship, Stanley went to three Final Fours and won WNBA Coach of the Year in 2002.

In high school basketball, Andrews has proved herself to be one of the best, if not the best. She is the all-time leader in wins at the high school level and has already been inducted into the High School Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

The full list of Hall of Fame inductees for the Class of 2021 will be announced during the enshrinement ceremony for the Class of 2020 on May 16.

An enshrinement ceremony for the Class of 2021 is set to take place later this year in September.

The post Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Announces 14 Finalists for Class of 2021 appeared first on SLAM.

“Players today are scared of LeBron… My era is out of the league. We weren’t afraid of LeBron but these guys today, he strikes fear in these guys. I can see it.”

It didn’t take long for one of the most vocal players in the NBA to speak out on Pierce’s take. Shortly after hearing the news, Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors went to Instagram to clap back.

In the social media era, trash talk has evolved in a way that expands even off the court. Regardless of whether Paul Pierce is right or wrong, Green seemed to disagree strongly. James has had success in the league both during and after Pierce’s era of the NBA, although they did have many great head-to-head battles.

After all that has been said, just yesterday Pierce said that if LeBron wins a title this year, he puts him right behind Michael Jordan as the greatest all-time.

The post Paul Pierce: ‘We Weren’t Afraid of LeBron’ appeared first on SLAM.

“You’re talking about nine years now and I’ve gotten so much hate,” added Allen, who reveals that he bolted due to “so many unresolved” locker room issues.

The Hall of Fame guard felt “removed” from Beantown’s “Big Three” by former teammates Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

Per NBC Sports Boston:

“I left as a free agent,” Allen told [Cedric] Maxwell, via CLNS Media’s Josue Pavon. “I left because there were so many unresolved issues that the team wasn’t considering or willing to change.”

Allen turned down a two-year deal from the Celtics in 2012 to join LeBron James and the Heat, who had just defeated Boston in the Eastern Conference Finals.

“These guys kind of removed me from the ‘Big Three,’ said so many negative things about me and I haven’t had one negative thing to say about any of them,” Allen said. “We had tough times, we’re brothers. We went through a lot. But that doesn’t change anything that we’ve done. It hurt me over the course of this time just to hear some of the things that have been said.”

Former Celtics head coach Doc Rivers said recently he hopes Allen will return to Boston for Garnett’s jersey retirement ceremony next season, noting that C’s fans would give the Hall of Fame guard a standing ovation.

“You’re talking about nine years now and I’ve gotten so much hate, death threats, vitriol from Boston fans,” Allen said. “As far as me being there, I think that is a subject that is really undecided yet. It would take Kevin and I to have a conversation moving forward.”

Related Ray Allen Says Rajon Rondo Stopped Passing Him the Ball

The post Ray Allen: Celtics Fans Made Death Threats After Leaving for Miami appeared first on SLAM.

James, who scored 45 points in a historic Game 6 performance against the Celtics that pushed the Heat into the championship round, said it might’ve been the “quickest breakup in basketball history” had things gone south during a forty-five minute Instagram Live chat with fans Thursday night.

LeBron added that his legacy would “take a huge, huge hit” had Pat Riley broken up the squad.

Per The Miami Herald and ESPN:

“My mentality was if we lose, [Miami Heat president] Pat Riley may break us all up,” James said. “And I don’t want that. It might be the quickest breakup in basketball history. Not only might they break it all up, but my legacy is going to take a huge, huge hit if I don’t go out here and perform at an all-time high.”

The Heat won the series in seven games and defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games to win the franchise’s second NBA title. James was named the NBA Finals MVP.

The Heat won the 2013 NBA championship in seven games over the San Antonio Spurs, marked by Ray Allen’s 3-pointer in Game 6 that flipped momentum to the Heat as they faced elimination.

“Win, lose or draw, I had to be focused. I had to lock in and lead us to victory,” James said Thursday. “Didn’t know if it was going to happen that way, but that was my mindset.”

Related Kevin Garnett: 2010 Celtics ‘Broke’ LeBron James

The post LeBron James: 2012 Loss to Celtics Would’ve Ended Heat Big 3 appeared first on SLAM.

Rivers argues that present-day teams aren’t nearly as deep as the C’s were back then.

Doc adds that the ’08 squad, which won a single championship but featured three Hall of Famers, will be ultimately vindicated by history.

Per Sports Illustrated:

“I think so, and it’s because of the mental toughness of that group,” said Rivers. “That was a very skilled, very deep team, and the depth made them so special.

“When you think of the Celtics, you think of ‘The Big Three’ [Paul Pierce, Garnett, and Allen], but that doesn’t include [Rajon] Rondo or Perk [Kendrick Perkins], who were both phenomenal players, or Eddie House, Tony Allen, James Posey, PJ Brown, Big Baby [Glen Davis], and Leon Powe. That was a deep basketball team. Teams aren’t as deep now. But I also believe that every team that’s won an NBA title can compete. Each team may be different, but there is a certain quality about championship teams that separate them from everyone else. Our 2008 group is another example of that.”

Rivers agreed that there is no 2020 basketball equivalent to Kevin Garnett.

“Kevin Garnett is the greatest superstar team-builder that I’ve seen in the history of the game,” said Rivers. “He always considered the team before any action that he took on or off the floor, and for that to also be your superstar player is unusual. Kevin Garnett, like Tom Brady, is a culture-builder. When you have a guy like that, you’re going to win. Kevin is one of the greatest of all-time, but he’d be the last one to tell you.

“He was in the right mental place to win in Boston, as were Paul and Ray. They’d already done so many other things in their careers, but the one thing that stood out was something they couldn’t buy, something they couldn’t do alone. In order to do this, they had to come together as a group. Kevin really understood that, and he was willing to sacrifice anything for that, including his numbers and his fame.”

Related Doc Rivers: Kawhi Leonard is a ‘Quiet Version’ of Kevin Garnett

The post Doc Rivers: 2008 Celtics Would Be NBA Title Favorites Today appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce took it as a compliment, and says he was simply stronger than The Black Mamba and others at his position.

Per ESPN (via NESN):

“He really understood how to use his body,” Bryant wrote, via ESPN. “He would use his heft to shield you, and he would use his size to shoot over you.”

While some might be offended by the insinuation they weren’t exactly svelte, Pierce loved what Bryant had to say.

“That’s what I’m talking about Kob, finally some respect around here,” Pierce said Thursday on ESPN’s “The Jump.”

“He knew what it was, finally. I was just stronger than him, look. I put that body on him, come on now. Imma put that shoulder on him, put that hip on him, get the layup. Come on, I was just too strong for these guys. I couldn’t jump over them, so I just go right through them.”

Tracy McGrady, meanwhile, was simply appreciative that Bryant recognized his greatness by calling him perhaps the toughest matchup of his 20-year career.

So @KobeBryant has a new book out and he’s got plenty to say in it about @PaulPierce and Tracy McGrady…we read some of it to them, and a bunch of the old stories came out pic.twitter.com/UHEIqlJGRe

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) October 26, 2018

“Listen man, thank you Kobe for giving me my roses while I’m still here on this earth,” McGrady said. “He was, listen, I came in, I used to stay at this man’s house. I just knew how gifted he was gonna be, right? So watching him, seeing him blossom before I ever reached you know my stardom, I was like OK, I’m gunning for him, right? This is the guy that I’m gunning for. And he just brought the best out of me.

“I worked religiously of trying to get better and have no flaws in my game. And as you see, I mean, he praised me for that, for not having any flaws.”

Related
Andy Bernstein Captured All the Iconic Moments from Kobe Bryant’s NBA Journey

The post ‘I Was Just Stronger’: Paul Pierce Responds to Kobe Bryant’s Book appeared first on SLAM.

If anything, Pierce was shocked it took this long for a fight to breatk out between the two veteran point guards.

“I am not surprised at all,” Pierce said on the ESPN postgame show.

“Rondo and Chris Paul have never liked each other. This goes back to maybe Rondo’s rookie year or second year. I’m surprised that this is their first fight actually, because they have never got along.”

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A post shared by SLAM (@slamonline) on Oct 21, 2018 at 10:51am PDT

Paul, Rondo and Brandon Ingram were all suspended for their roles in the brouhaha.

Per ESPN:

The last major fight in the NBA was almost 12 years ago, when current Rockets forward Carmelo Anthony received a 15-game suspension while playing for the Denver Nuggets.

Anthony said that [NBA vice president Kiki] Vandeweghe should do “what is right” in his decision, and Rondo’s actions were “unacceptable.” Anthony said he saw Rondo spit in Paul’s face to spark the altercation.

“Chris had to retaliate,” Anthony said. “In that situation, the New York situation, you can’t let that fly.”

Related
Mike D’Antoni: Chris Paul Suspension for Rajon Rondo Fight Unfair

The post Paul Pierce ‘Not Surprised at All’ By Chris Paul-Rajon Rondo Fight appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce can envision the Boston Celtics or Los Angeles Lakers making a run at AD in 2018-19.

Anthony Davis is reportedly changing agents…to work with Rich Paul. Who also represents LeBron. Is that Something, Nothing or Everything?
Also: Lonzo's new shooting motion and @PaulPierce34 says he's got a better chance at an NBA comeback than Andrew Bynum pic.twitter.com/BfosnF2anY

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) September 12, 2018

Davis, 25, was an MVP finalist last season with averages of 28.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.6 blocks per game.

He has three years remaining on his current deal with the Pels.

Per ESPN’s “The Jump”:

“If things don’t go well in New Orleans this year and they’re hovering around 500 or not looking like a playoff team, Boston’s going to make a run at him or the Lakers,” Pierce said on Tuesday’s show.

“I guarantee you that. He will not be in New Orleans by the end of the year.

“If they’re not playing well, he will not make it to All-Star weekend.”

Related
Report: Anthony Davis Parts Ways With Agent

The post Paul Pierce: Pelicans to Trade Anthony Davis if ‘Things Don’t Go Well’ appeared first on SLAM.

The decision to leave Boston created a rift between Allen and his former teammates, many of whom don’t speak to Allen to this day. Former Celtics coach Doc Rivers told The Athletic’s Jay King he wished there was more he could do to mend the relationship:

Doc Rivers said he “hates” seeing the fracturing of the 2008 Celtics championship team. “If I had one wish, I wish I could do a better job of getting that team back together.”

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) September 4, 2018

Allen, the current all-time leader in 3-pointers made, told The Athletic’s Shams Charania that he doesn’t expect to receive any congratulatory messages from his former Celtics teammates when he’s inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame on Friday.

RELATED: Ray Allen Disappointed That Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce Still Won’t Talk to Him

The post Doc Rivers: I Wish I Could Repair Relationships Between Ray Allen, Former Celtics 🍀 appeared first on SLAM.

Love says he felt like was having heart attack.

Watch @kevinlove's full interview with @CarsonDaly about his battle with anxiety. @NBA pic.twitter.com/tgmHRXvzRa

— TODAY (@TODAYshow) August 20, 2018

Per Cleveland.com (via The Today Show):

“I had a moment where I thought I was going to die,” Love said to Carson Daly on NBC’s The Today Show in an interview which aired Monday.

“I thought I was having a heart attack,” Love continued. “I was running around looking for something that I couldn’t find. I just wanted to get air. And so I ended up basically unconscious on the floor and putting my hand down my throat and trying to get something out of there, but there was nothing there.”

In addition to Love, Paul Pierce and Chris Bosh also open up about their own mental health struggles.

Kevin Love has been open about dealing with anxiety … but the stigma of mental health remains alive in the NBA. https://t.co/KNbWdiLP8G pic.twitter.com/CXzYzdeEqD

— ESPN (@espn) August 20, 2018

Per ESPN:

“I have anxiety, but I also come from a family with a history of depression,” Love told me on that February afternoon. “It’s difficult to talk about. It’s difficult to confront. I finally had to say to myself, ‘Your whole life these things will affect you, so how are you going to manage it?'”

Kevin Love is hardly alone. Houston Rockets assistant coach John Lucas, a retired NBA player who has struggled with addiction and now runs a wellness aftercare program for athletes, estimates that more than 40 percent of NBA players have mental health issues, yet less than 5 percent of them are seeking help.

“It’s an epidemic in our league,” he says. “I’m talking about everything from ADHD to bipolar to anxiety and depression.”

Related
NBA And NBPA Establishing Independent Mental Wellness Program

The post ‘I Thought I Was Going to Die’: Kevin Love Details Panic Attack appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce doesn’t envision any modern player sticking with a single NBA team for a very long stretch.

.@BostonSportsBSJ: Q&A: Paul Pierce dishes on Jayson Tatum, LeBron to LA, Kyrie’s future and loyalty in today’s NBA https://t.co/Ip2WOZ4bfs pic.twitter.com/VZf5kfvBwh

— BostonSportsJournal (@BostonSportsBSJ) August 14, 2018

The Truth, however, does believe Kyrie can lead the Celtics back to the promised land.

Per the Boston Sports Journal (via NESN):

Boston Sports Journal’s Brian Robb recently asked Pierce whether he thought Irving really would leave the young, loaded Celtics, and Pierce’s answer wasn’t exactly reassuring.

“You know what? It’s hard to really get a read on the players these days. There are so many changes being made,” Pierce told Robb. “Who would have expected Kevin Durant to go to the Warriors? (DeMarcus) Cousins to the Warriors? LeBron (James) to Miami a few years ago? Players are just showing that they have the control and the power to do what they want.

“There is no loyalty to a franchise anymore. You are not going to see a player stay with one franchise for 10-15 years. That’s the generation we live in. You have to brace for it. Guys want to play with certain teams, they want to play with certain guys they know, their friends. They’re showing they have the power.”

Related
Report: Celtics Confident They Can Re-Sign Kyrie Irving

The post Paul Pierce: ‘There Is No Loyalty to a Franchise Anymore’ appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce says “the talent is definitely there.”

I talked to @paulpierce34 about the Celtics' championship ambitions this season, Kyrie Irving's contract situation, and what he'd tell the team before Game 7 with a trip to the Finals on the line. https://t.co/F7t4XTB7We pic.twitter.com/jQ7V2SlHVk

— Mark Dunphy (@m_b_dunphy) August 13, 2018

The Truth adds that Kyrie Irving‘s looming free agency won’t be a distraction for the C’s.

Per the Boston Globe:

“You have to sacrifice if you are truly committed to trying to win a championship,” he said. “They’re going to win a lot of games, but unless they sacrifice — because we know they’re going to be better than probably what their numbers show — if they can sacrifice they’ll win a championship this year. Because the talent is definitely there.”

However, Pierce doesn’t think the point guard’s uncertain contract status will affect Irving or the locker room.

“Kyrie is a competitor,” he said. “He’s won a championship. He knows — if they win again he’ll get whatever contract he wants. He’s an extraordinary talent and he knows that winning trumps everything. If you win, everybody wins.”

Related
Jaylen Brown: Celtics ‘Getting to the Finals’

The post Paul Pierce: Boston Can Win a Title ‘This Year’ With Sacrifice appeared first on SLAM.

In a story by the Boston Herald‘s Steve Bulpett, Pierce said “[LeBron] is gone” if the Cavs lose to Boston—just like in 2010.

NEW: Paul Pierce on…

— why Cleveland will always be a rival to him

— LeBron taking his shirt off and leaving the Cavs in 2010 (“We could be seeing history repeat itself")

— the Celtics going this deep (“I’m more than surprised, man")

and more… https://t.co/mIxSAWf5Ac

— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) May 16, 2018

Paul Pierce was on the phone talking about his 2010 Celtics and the second-round series against Cleveland. He seemed to take particular joy in the video of LeBron James walking off the court in the Garden and removing his jersey on the way to the dressing room — the prelude to a departure for Miami two months later.

“We could be seeing history repeat itself,” Pierce said through laughter. “That’s the funny part about it, because if Boston beats them, we all know he’s gone. He may be gone anyway.”

RELATED:
Ex-Cavs GM Says LeBron’s Contracts Are ‘Unsustainable’ For Teams

The post Paul Pierce Says History Could Be Repeating Itself For LeBron appeared first on SLAM.

While guesting on the I AM RAPAPORT: STEREO PODCAST, Chauncey Billups said that Pierce made the decision to not pay attention to the negativity in Allen’s book.

“[Ray and Celtics] had a great thing going,” Pierce told Billups. “We won a chip together. I’m on that. I don’t want this negativity.”

(@1MrBigShot) Chauncey Billups is on @iamrapaport podcast with @MichaelRapaport to discuss: Difference Between NBA Regular Season & Playoffs, how close he was to taking a Front Office job in Cleveland, LeBron James & Cavs’ chances in the playoffs & more:https://t.co/x54YgiDQaW pic.twitter.com/oHrfdL2e8K

— IAMRAPAPORTPODCAST (@iamrapaport) April 12, 2018

“I was talking to Paul about [Allen’s book] just yesterday and some of that stuff.

“He was like, ‘Man, I’m not reading that book. We had a great thing going. We won a chip together. I’m on that. I don’t want this negativity.’”

RELATED:
Ray Allen: Paul Pierce Took Nights Off Against Non-Elite Players

The post Chauncey: Paul Pierce Won’t Read Ray Allen’s Book appeared first on SLAM.

According to Allen, former Celtics teammate Paul Pierce used to inform the locker room that he was “taking the night off” when facing opponents he didn’t consider worthy of him expending too much energy.

I read Ray Allen's upcoming memoir and he says A LOT of things in 265 pages. https://t.co/F4aosiodPt

— Nicole Yang (@nicolecyang) March 21, 2018

Kevin Garnett, as you might image and Allen reports, was the exact opposite.

Per the Boston Globe:

Allen also appreciated Garnett’s everlasting tenacity — an intangible trait that he felt didn’t necessarily light up the stat sheet.

“He never took a game off. A possession off,” he wrote. “I can’t say that of anyone else I played with, and I played with some of the best.”

Paul Pierce, on the other hand, would explicitly announce he was “taking the night off” when matched up against a player who wasn’t considered to be elite. Although it was partially in jest, Pierce’s attitude ticked Allen off. He was sure to express his disapproval to Pierce, who eventually no longer joked about taking it easy.

“No player should ever have a night off,” Allen wrote. “The worst player in the NBA would not be in the NBA if he weren’t good, which means he has the potential to beat you on any given night. And if you think you have to put forth a greater effort against the top players, you clearly aren’t giving enough of an effort against everyone else.”

Related
Rajon Rondo: Ray Allen ‘Just Wants Attention’

The post Ray Allen: Paul Pierce Took Nights Off Against Non-Elite Players appeared first on SLAM.

And should that happen, former All-Star Paul Pierce thinks Cleveland could be in trouble, via ESPN‘s Rachel Nichols:

So here was the halftime segment of Raps-Cavs where we started by discussing how no LeBron James team had EVER given up 79 points in a half before, but then totally devolved into @PaulPierce34 & @1MrBigShot arguing over how tight a Cavs-Sixers playoff series would be. pic.twitter.com/CT6C9NIiTX

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) March 22, 2018

The Cavs currently hold the No. 3 seed and the Sixers are slotted in at No. 4, but only half a game separates them from the No. 6 spot.

RELATED
LeBron James: No Reminder Needed of ‘What My Teams Are Capable of Doing’

The post Paul Pierce: 76ers Could Beat Cavaliers In First Round Of Playoffs appeared first on SLAM.

Rivers said that Allen considered coming, but ultimately thought the focus would shift to him.

Doc Rivers defended Ray Allen and said Allen considered attending the Paul Pierce jersey retirement ceremony but was apprehensive about the potential reaction. Here is his quote. #Celtics pic.twitter.com/nmKy1nnAPV

— gary washburn (@GwashburnGlobe) February 14, 2018

From the Boston Globe’s Gary Washburn:

“I did think it would have been great for Ray to have been there. But there’s just angst right now and in Ray’s defense, I know he thought about coming. I can tell you that because I talked to him personally.

“He didn’t know if he should. He didn’t know if it was the right time. He really didn’t want to take anything away from Paul or be a distraction, and he won’t be and what’s what we’ve got to convince him of.

“If he would have been there, the fans would have cheered for him. That will happen eventually. You’ve just got to figure out when.”

RELATED:
Ray Allen Pays Tribute to Paul Pierce, 2008 Celtics

The post Doc: Ray Allen ‘Didn’t Want To Be A Distraction’ On Paul Pierce’s Jersey Retirement appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce had his own his ceremony earlier this week, and says that KG’s No. 5 will hang alongside his own in the TD Garden rafters “without a doubt.”

Pierce: KG's number will be retired in Boston https://t.co/bDEosvJzyk #Celtics pic.twitter.com/SnUxK8ocv4

— ESPNBoston (@ESPNBoston) February 14, 2018

Celtics president of basketball ops Danny Ainge said the team has had informal talks about retiring Garnett’s number, but that no final decision has been made yet.

Per ESPN:

“Without a doubt, KG’s number will be [the next one] retired in Boston,” said Pierce. “It’s going to happen.”

Pierce’s was the 22nd number retired by the Celtics. Some argue that Garnett, who played six seasons in Boston after being acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves, didn’t have a long enough tenure to have his jersey retired.

“It was six years of potential championship-caliber teams and All-Star play from KG,” said Ainge. “I think that it was a pretty significant impact he had in those six years.”

“[Garnett would] rather have his jersey retired in Boston than in Minnesota,” said Pierce. “He’ll eventually have his number retired with the Timberwolves, too, but he’ll have to wait until management sells the team.”

The post Paul Pierce: Celtics to Retire Kevin Garnett’s Jersey appeared first on SLAM.

Allen says that he will “always be a Celtic.”

What we did in 2008 was special! Not only by Boston standards but by professional sports standards. The truth is, without any one of us on that team we would’ve never been able to do the unthinkable. Going from last place in one year to winning a championship is unfathomable. But, we did it! WE did it- Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Tony Allen, P.J. Brown, Sam Cassell, Glen Davis, Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins, Scott Pollard, James Posey, Leon Powe, Gabe Pruitt, Brian Scalabrine, Doc, Danny, everyone at the Celtics Organization, our wives, children, families, the Fans in The City of Boston and yes, me. Over the last few years I have been berated, lambasted and had my name smeared. You may not want to hear this, but I will always be a Celtic. (Fact). I will always cherish the bonds that I shared with all of my teammates and the people in the city of Boston. (Truth). We all gave everything we had. We all won and we all raised the 2008 NBA Championship banner together. (Ubuntu) Paul Pierce is the first guy that welcomed Kevin and me with open arms into his atmosphere from day one and we never looked back. Paul and I have spoken about our time together as teammates- going to battle night after night knowing we could count on one another and we have also talked about my decision to leave during free agency- a choice I made for my family. Despite what you may have heard or read or what is rumored- there is nothing but love. Paul and I are more interested in building bridges than putting up walls. To Paul, number 34, Congratulations on having your number raised up to the rafters. I salute you for your commitment to the city of Boston and to us the 2008 NBA Champions #thetruth

A post shared by Ray Allen (@trayfour) on Feb 13, 2018 at 2:45pm PST

Allen was notably absent from Pierce’s jersey retirement, but The Truth said it was no big deal.

Related
Ray Allen: ‘I Don’t Have Any Ill-Will’ Toward Celtics Teammates

The post Ray Allen Pays Tribute to Paul Pierce, 2008 Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

But the other original member of the Boston “Big Three”, Ray Allen, was on a golf course somewhere in Miami with George Lopez.

Asked if he was upset Allen did not make the trip, Pierce said he was more hurt that Tony Allen, who he speaks to regularly, was not at the ceremony, per USA Today‘s Andrew Joseph:

Paul Pierce says he wasn’t disappointed Ray Allen was on the golf course yesterday pic.twitter.com/nzMrfuXGJQ

— Andrew Joseph (@AndyJ0seph) February 12, 2018

Pierce and Allen have reportedly squashed their beef, which was caused by Allen leaving the Celtics for the Heat before the 2012-13 season, but Garnett is still bitter about the breakup.

RELATED
Robert Parish: Paul Pierce the ‘Greatest Offensive Celtic Ever’

The post Paul Pierce Isn’t Upset Ray Allen Missed His Jersey Retirement Ceremony appeared first on SLAM.

The Chief says Pierce was a better and more creative scorer than Larry Bird.

Robert Parish called Paul Pierce the “greatest offensive Celtic ever.”

The Chief: “I just think that Paul was more creative. He was a better scorer than Larry [Bird] and John Havlicek.”

— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) February 11, 2018

Pierce spent 15 seasons in Beantown, finishing as the C’s second all-time leading scorer and won the 2008 NBA title.

Per ESPN:

“I just want the younger players to understand that you wear this uniform, not for the name on the back, but it’s all about Celtics pride,” Pierce said. “You hear that so much in this city, and lot of people don’t know what that is. It’s more than just how you are just a player. It’s how you carry yourself. It’s the things you do off the court. It’s how you represent the Celtic family, and these guys up there before you. I’m thankful that I was able to do that. It goes further than basketball, and I want the young generation to understand that.”

Pierce ranks No. 2 all time among Boston’s scoring leaders, compiling 24,021 points over 15 seasons with the Celtics. He is sandwiched between Havlicek (26,395) and Bird (21,791). Parish, who played alongside Bird, boldly dubbed Pierce the best offensive player in team history, which will come as sacrilege to some.

“I think [Pierce] was the greatest offensive Celtic ever, in my opinion,” Parish said. “I just think that Paul was more creative. He was a better scorer than Larry and John Havlicek. I think that Larry and John Havlicek and Paul were the best offensive players that the Celtics ever had. I think Paul tops that list in my opinion.”

The post Robert Parish: Paul Pierce the ‘Greatest Offensive Celtic Ever’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Truth. : @DonCharleone pic.twitter.com/6ZOHb9P23k

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 12, 2018

Though the Celtics got destroyed by the Cavaliers before the jersey ceremony, Pierce was accompanied by many of his former teammates and legendary Celtics at the celebration. Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, Doc Rivers, Antoine Walker, Leon Powe, Robert Parish, Cedric Maxwell and Tom “Satch” Sanders were among those who showed up to support Pierce.

Doc Rivers: "You were a brilliant player. You were a clutch player, Paul. You're a Celtic and you're a champion." (via @nbatv) pic.twitter.com/v9CRFZvnAw

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 11, 2018

Pierce averaged about 22 points per game in his time with the green & white. He’s the team’s second all-time scorer and won the 2008 NBA Finals MVP, after he led the C’s to a championship over the Lakers.

See below for a few clips of Pierce’s jersey ceremony.

No. 34 to the rafters (via @NBAonTNT) pic.twitter.com/3yy2UrUTVx

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 12, 2018

"If I never make the Hall of Fame, to go up as a Celtic, that will be enough for me." – Paul Pierce (via @nbatv) pic.twitter.com/1DcCbnu600

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 12, 2018

The post Paul Pierce’s No. 34 Jersey Retired in Boston appeared first on SLAM.

Bill Russell, who was the driving force behind 11 of the Celtics’ titles, gave a shout out to Pierce today on Twitter. Russell, now 83, said, “Paul, one of the greatest things that can happen to an athlete is to retire as a Celtic. I’m very proud of you and I’m proud that you were a Celtic. Congratulations.”

Watch the video below.

Congratulations to @PaulPierce34 #TheTruth on a GREAT career! Very proud to have you as part of my @celtics family. Have a great day & embrace the experience. I will see you soon at #NBAAllStar2018 #paulpierce #nba #espn pic.twitter.com/71NKEEFEH6

— TheBillRussell (@RealBillRussell) February 11, 2018

The post Bill Russell to Paul Pierce: ‘I’m Very Proud of You’ appeared first on SLAM.

There’s plenty of interest in attending Pierce’s jersey retirement ceremony, which will take place after Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at TD Garden. In fact, the level of interest has driven ticket prices over $1,000. According to TicketIQ.com, the current average asking price on the secondary market is $1,092, making it the second-most expensive ticket around the NBA this season. Kobe Bryant’s jersey retirement game at Staples Center on Dec. 18, 2017 ran $1,477. The third highest-priced ticket for the season was for the Golden State Warriors-Cavaliers game on Christmas Day, which cost an average of $818. The get-in price for Sunday’s game is $391.

Boston, which leads the Eastern Conference, hasn’t been a cheap ticket all season, but Sunday’s game is 609 percent higher than the season average of $154. It’s also more expensive than the 2010 NBA Finals, for which a ticket ran $494, according to TicketIQ.com.

When Pierce’s number is raised to the rafters at TD Garden, he’ll join such greats as team founder Walter Brown (1), nine-time NBA Championship coach Red Auerbach (2) and iconic players Bill Russell (6), John Havlicek (17) and Larry Bird (33).

The Celtics drafted Pierce out of Kansas in 1998 and he went on to become team captain. He played 15 of his 19 professional seasons in Boston. The team sent him to Brooklyn after the 2013-14 season. He played a single season with the Washington Wizards and two with the Los Angeles Clippers before retiring in 2017. Pierce signed a one-day contact with Boston in July 2017 in order to be able to retire as a Celtic.

Pierce helped build a team that truly became a force when he was surrounded by young superstars Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in 2007. One year later, Boston won the NBA Finals and Pierce, a 10-time NBA All-Star, was the MVP.

The post Tickets For Pierce’s Jersey Retirement Are Second Most Expensive Of Season appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce spoke to Boston’s front-office and insisted that they scrap the I.T. tribute.

Thomas graciously asked the team not to go ahead with the clip.

Per ESPN:

“Danny [Ainge] and I talked about it for 40 minutes,” Pierce explained to ESPN early Tuesday afternoon. “He told me, ‘This is what we have planned,’ and at the end of the conversation, he said, ‘If you don’t want us to do Isaiah, we won’t.’ So I told him, ‘I really don’t.’ So that was it. That’s how we left it.”

 

Earlier in the day, before Thomas’ tweet, Pierce explained why he objected to plans to honor Thomas on Feb. 11.

 

“(Thomas) had a shot to be honored,” Pierce said. “You came to Boston. Whether you are playing or not, you should have had your tribute then. I just don’t see how, if someone is having a jersey retirement, they’re going to be running other tributes for other players.

 

“Danny tried to sell me on it, but I told him, ‘He had a shot, Danny, and he punked you on it. He pretty much dictated everything.’ They let it happen because they felt sorry how (the trade to Cleveland) went down. It’s guilt. That’s what it is.”

Related
Kevin Garnett To Paul Pierce About His Jersey Retirement: ‘Isaiah Who?’

The post Jalen Rose Calls Paul Pierce ‘Petty’ Over Isaiah Thomas Tribute appeared first on SLAM.

In a story by ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan and Chris Forsberg, Pierce recalled Garnett’s advice: “KG was like, ‘Isaiah who?”

"Danny and I talked about it for 40 minutes. He told me, 'This is what we have planned,' and at the end of the conversation, he said, 'If you don't want us to do Isaiah, we won't.' So I told him, 'I really don't.' So that was it.”https://t.co/H2i4kIS74g

— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) January 17, 2018

Pierce conceded that he gave his position some additional thought after his objections to a joint tribute made headlines.

 

He says he consulted his agent, his wife, his mother and Garnett.

 

“Everyone understood where I was coming from,” Pierce said. “KG was like, ‘Isaiah who? Hell no, you’re damn right you’re not sharing your night with him.'”

RELATED:
Rajon Rondo on Isaiah Thomas: ‘What Has He Done (For The Celtics)?’

The post Kevin Garnett To Paul Pierce About His Jersey Retirement: ‘Isaiah Who?’ appeared first on SLAM.

With IT’s rescheduled tribute falling on the same day as Pierce’s huge honor, February 11th, the future Hall-of-Famer took offense and said he didn’t want to share the spotlight on his special day. But, in a series of tweets on Tuesday night, IT took the high road and relented, allowing Pierce to have the night to himself.

I’d like to thank the Celtics for their gracious offer to play a video tribute on Feb 11th celebrating my 3yrs in Boston. But since it appears this has caused some controversy w/ Paul Pierce’s night I’d ask the Celtics instead to focus all of their attention on #34’s career.

— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) January 17, 2018

I look forward to coming back and playing in Boston on Feb 11th and see all of the great fans whom I will always remember for their love and incredible support the past few years.

— Isaiah Thomas (@isaiahthomas) January 17, 2018

All class from IT. While he didn’t wear Celtic green-and-white for all too long, he certainly made enough of an impact to deserve his own tribute video so it remains to be seen if Boston honors him in any way when the Cavaliers head to TD Garden for the final time (in the regular season, at least).

The post Isaiah Thomas Passes On Celtics Tribute Video, Cedes To Paul Pierce appeared first on SLAM.

Isaiah will be back in Boston on February 11—the night of Pierce’s jersey retirement.

While on ESPN’s The Jump on Thursday, Pierce said that he’s “not sure” if he wants to share his jersey retirement with Isaiah (starting at 2:24):

“On February 11, the night I get my jersey retirement, I’m not sure I want to look up at the jumbotron and see Isaiah highlights. After all the years I put in.

 

“I had a chance to watch Kobe’s, and throughout the game, the timeouts, it was a lot of tribute videos for him, and I enjoyed to watch that throughout the game. Now hopefully, the Boston Celtics will do that for me.

 

“I’m not sure if I want to see an Isaiah video that night.”

RELATED:
Isaiah Thomas and Danny Ainge Squash Their Beef

The post Paul Pierce Doesn’t Want Isaiah Thomas Tribute Video During Jersey Retirement appeared first on SLAM.

The newly retired Celtics legend will have his jersey retired later in the year, but the organization gave him a nice tribute in the first quarter of this game to welcome him home.

The @celtics pay tribute to Boston great, Paul Pierce! #Celtics

: ESPN pic.twitter.com/a9q9LIdD9G

— NBA (@NBA) November 9, 2017

The post Celtics Welcome Back Paul Pierce with Video Tribute appeared first on SLAM.

NEW: Paul Pierce says Bradley Beal is the best SG in the East. Move over, Dwyane Wade https://t.co/HgU6kbv6Co

— NBC Sports Wizards (@NBCSWizards) November 6, 2017

Pierce believes Beal should be named to the All-Star squad this season.

Beal, 24, is putting up a career-best 25.7 points, pulling down 4.7 rebounds and handing out 3.1 assists

Per NBC Sports Washington:

“It’s playing with an edge, as I like to call it,” Pierce said. “That’s what you’ve seen more in Brad and that’s what has made him a better player, I believe. I told him when he starts playing with that edge, ‘it’s going to make you a better player.’ You’ve gotta go out there and feel like you’re the best and this guy can’t guard you. It’s gotta be that mindset. It’s all a mindset. This has nothing to with showing that you’re tougher than this guy or having to fight, it’s just a mindset when you come out here.”

 

Pierce made headlines earlier this season when he proclaimed John Wall as the best point guard in the NBA.

 

He thinks Beal is the best at his position in the Eastern Conference.

 

“I think he should be an All-Star this year without a doubt,” Pierce explained. “With Dwyane Wade holding that crown for years, being the top two-guard, I think Bradley Beal should be holding that crown now as the top two-guard in all of the East.”

The post Paul Pierce Calls Bradley Beal the ‘Top Two-Guard in All of the East’ appeared first on SLAM.

Paul Pierce on Jayson Tatum: 'He looks like an older version of me' – #Celtics @ASherrodblakely https://t.co/N2dsjhjocS

— CSN New England (@CSNNE) September 15, 2017

Pierce says the “sky is the limit” for the 19-year-old.

The Boston Celtics selected Tatum with third pick in this summer’s NBA Draft.

Per CSNNE:

“He looks like an older version of me, when I started doing the step-back and stuff,” Pierce said.

 

“When I’m watching him, he looks like a mature version of my game, like sixth, seventh, eighth year. He sees the defense. He knows what’s going to happen before it happens. He understands his position, footwork, his step-back (jumper) is there. His offensive repertoire seems complete. The sky is the limit for that kid.”

 

But having spent nearly two decades in the NBA, Pierce has seen his share of young talented players come and go, many with similar if not more potential in terms of talent as Tatum.

 

“The thing I see, what makes the guy special, there’s a lot of talent in the league. There’s no question about it,” Pierce said. “Your mentality, your drive, how great you want to be, that’s what separates the good from the great ones. You look at guys from the past, like Kobe (Bryant’s) determination, his competitive spirit. You see guys that were just as talented, they didn’t have the same competitive spirit so they could not reach the levels of other greats.

 

Pierce added, “that’s the biggest thing, the mentality, having a competitive spirit because there’s so much talent, and it’s about how hard you work and the mentality you bring every single night.”

The post Paul Pierce: Jayson Tatum ‘Looks Like a Mature Version of My Game’ appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce says their bond as Boston Celtics teammates can never be broken.

“Time to get the band back together @trayfour #burythehatchet @tic_pix @rajonrondo no matter what happen we all formed a special bond that can never b broken #onceacelticalwaysaceltic”

Allen and Pierce recently hooped together in the Super Penguin Basketball Celebrity Game held in Shanghai.

Per ESPN:

Tencent reports that Allen and Pierce had a meeting and spoke about family, Hurricane Irma and other topics.

 

Tencent also had a sit-down interview with Allen, during which he talked about the rift, though he never mentioned Pierce or any of his other former teammates by name.

 

“There is so much that goes on behind the scenes with teams,” Allen said. “The players understand it, the organization understands it. But when I left, what you know is that everybody on one side is gonna say everything they need to say to make their side look like they did everything they could to make sure that they made it correct for me. But from my opinion, I see something totally different.”

 

Allen later added, “I haven’t said anything negative about these guys. It’s been five or six years since I’ve been gone. Seems like it was a year or two ago. When I left, I was a free agent. It’s disheartening when you hear negative things people say about you, because when you win, you love each other, the families are close all time. When you win together, you always share that bond. That, to me, it’s never changed.”

Related
Ray Allen to Celtics Fans: ‘Y’all Need to Get Over It!’

The post Paul Pierce Wants to ‘Bury the Hatchet’ With Ray Allen appeared first on SLAM.

Ask Paul Pierce, though, and that streak could come to an end soon.

With Gordon Hayward now on board, Pierce thinks the Celtics are primed to “dethrone” the King next season.

He's baaaaaack #TheTruth pic.twitter.com/cwaSW5lKHU

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) July 17, 2017

Via MassLive:

“I like the whole squad, man. It’s time to dethrone LeBron (James) in the East. We back. We back.” […]

 

It might not be time to dethrone LeBron James yet, but the Celtics will try.

 

And they might have a better chance than anybody, largely because of the trade that sent Pierce away.

RELATED:
LeBron ‘Frustrated and Concerned’ after Disappointing Offseason

The post Paul Pierce Says Celtics Are Ready ‘To Dethrone LeBron’ appeared first on SLAM.

Drake will be hosting the show while the likes of Vince Carter, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki, John Wall and many more will be presenting the awards this year.

MVP, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man, Defensive Player of the Year, Sportsmanship Award, Most Improved Player, Teammate of the Year, and Coach of the Year will all be announced at the event.

Coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET and will be televised live from Basketball City at Pier 36 in New York City.

The post Vince Carter, Dirk Nowitzki Among 2017 NBA Awards Show Presenters appeared first on SLAM.

Durant has been the best player in the Finals so far, and KD’s performance on Sunday had Pierce ready to anoint him as the NBA’s alpha dog. Starting at 0:32:

https://youtu.be/l4evld2Pdtk?t=32s

“He’s a once-in-a-lifetime, generational player.

 

“He’s 7 feet. He can shoot the three-pointer. He can drive to the basket, dunk on you. Pull up in the mid-range. He just has so much in the arsenal.

 

“He may be the best player in the world today.”

Durant scored 33 points (on 13-22 shooting) and became just the second player to record at least 30 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks in a Finals game.

https://youtu.be/tJYPMaoACl0?t=30s

RELATED:
Draymond Green: Kevin Durant Critics Will Only ‘Remember a Ring’

The post Paul Pierce Says Kevin Durant ‘May Be The Best Player’ in the NBA appeared first on SLAM.

The Finals’ high stakes, elevated pressure and intense magnifying glass make it the perfect place to debut sneakers. LeBron James pulled out the Nike Zoom Soldier 10 in last season’s mythical run. And if brands aren’t bringing new silhouettes, they’re making sure the current kicks get treated with eye-catching colorways.

With the exception of Dirk Nowitzki in 2011–it’s all good, he’s still a style icon–the last decade of Finals MVPs have won the ‘chip in either signature sneakers or PEs. In 2006, Dwyane Wade, who was the face of Converse, dropped 36 points in Game 6 while rocking the Wade 1.  James has worn signatures in each of his three title runs, and Kobe Bryant captured his last two rings while wearing his own sneakers. Paul Pierce, Andre Iguodala, Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker all joined the Finals MVP club in their own special colorways.

Check out the gallery above to see what they were wearing during their respective runs.

Related
SLAM 209 Cover Story: Cavs/Warriors Round 3 is the Clash of the Titans 

Photos courtesy of Getty Images

The post The Sneakers Worn by Every Finals MVP Since 2006 appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce hilariously likens KD’s move to joining the “bully’s gang.”

Paul Pierce compares Kevin Durant joining Warriors to a kid becoming friends with his bullies to avoid getting beat up. pic.twitter.com/00U8c5sTW0

— Jordan Heck (@JordanHeckFF) May 30, 2017

“I’m just not built like that — I’m not a guy who goes into neighborhood, gets beat up by the bully’s gang and then now I want to join your gang? That’s just not me,” Pierce said on ESPN.

 

“I want to fight. Let’s go. I’m going to stand up for myself — and that’s just the competitive nature of where I come from and the era I grew up in.”

Durant, meanwhile, has his hands full trying to figure out a way to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals.

Per the Mercury News:

After the Cleveland Cavaliers stopped guarding Harrison Barnes in last year’s NBA Finals and simply dared him to shoot, will the Warriors be a tougher defensive matchup this year with Durant taking Barnes’ place in the starting lineup?

 

“You think so?,” Durant asked back when posed that question on Tuesday after practice.

 

“They stepped it up a level in the playoffs defensively,” Durant said of the Cavaliers. “They’re familiar with this team.

 

“It’s not a like there’s going to be a lot of wide open shots out there, but if we move the basketball and move our bodies, I think anybody can find a crack in the defense or some space to make a shot. But we’ve just got to take care of the basketball.”

Related
Doc Rivers: Tough to Watch Kevin Durant Join Warriors

The post Paul Pierce: Kevin Durant Joined ‘Bully’s Gang’ appeared first on SLAM.

Paul Pierce says that’d be the smart move to make.

Paul Pierce says Celtics should trade No. 1 overall pick https://t.co/7EVfuAcIti via @WEEI

— Ty Anderson (@_TyAnderson) May 18, 2017

Pierce, who jokingly took credit for Boston unexpectedly landing the top pick, argues that the organization can’t afford to miss this current window to win big.

Per WEEI:

Speaking with ESPN on Wednesday, Pierce clearly believes it’s time for Danny Ainge to make another blockbuster deal.

 

“You trade this pick, because [Markelle Fultz] cannot help the Celtics get over the top,” Pierce told The Jump. “The window is now.”

 

“You’re a 50-win team, you’re the No. 1 seed. You have to build on this momentum,” said Pierce. “If you can acquire a Paul George, Jimmy Butler, or Gordon [Hayward] from Utah, you have to do it.”

Related
Celtics to Retire Paul Pierce’s No. 34 Jersey

The post Paul Pierce: Celtics Should Trade No. 1 Draft Pick appeared first on SLAM.

The gig is not a new one for Pierce, whose NBA career came to an end last month after his Los Angeles Clippers were eliminated from the playoffs by the Utah Jazz. The 10-time All-Star was a part of ABC’s Finals coverage last year as well.

This year on NBA Countdown, Pierce will join host Michelle Beadle and former NBA players-turned-ESPN analysts Chauncey Billups and Jalen Rose.

Pierce’s first ESPN on-air appearance of the postseason will come Wednesday afternoon at 3 PM EST on The Jump hosted by Rachel Nichols. Pierce will regularly appear on the show, which was recently expanded to one hour.

Related
Celtics To Retire Paul Pierce’s No. 34 Jersey

—

Yaron Weitzman is a Senior Writer for SLAM. Follow him @YaronWeitzman.

The post Paul Pierce to Join ESPN’s Finals Coverage appeared first on SLAM.

Thomas, after dropping 29 points with 12 assists, talked about his Game 7 prep. Starting at 4:55:

https://youtu.be/_ZyiT1PjtSA?t=4m55s

“All night last night and day, I watched 2008 Paul Pierce versus LeBron. And how special that game was.

 

“Two superstars going at it, guarding each other. It was a historic game.”

In the classic Game 7 matchup, 30-year-old Pierce dropped 41 points on 23 shots, and a 23-year-old LeBron scored 45 points on 29 shots.

The Celtics won the game 97-92, eliminating Cleveland in the second round. Boston, of course, would go on to win the 2008 title.

UPDATE (May 16, 2:01 p.m. EST): When told about Isaiah watching him come up short in Game 7, LeBron shrugged it off.

“To each is own. Whatever puts you in the mindset to go out and play. I’ve never watched previous games and things of that nature.

 

“I think it’s to each is own, and obviously it worked. He had a helluva game last night.”

https://youtu.be/nmECZQOn9pE?t=4m1s

RELATED:
Kobe Bryant: Isaiah Thomas ‘Had the Courage to Ask’ for Help

The post Isaiah Thomas Watched 2008 Paul Pierce-LeBron James Duel To Prepare For Game 7 appeared first on SLAM.

Paul Pierce’s Hall of Fame numbers and accomplishments happened mostly in Boston, and then a little bit in Brooklyn and Washington DC. And then the Truth signed with the Los Angeles Clippers, which is less than an hour away from where he started his journey, in Inglewood, CA.

The Truth was cut from the Inglewood High School varsity squad in both his freshman and sophomore year. Through hard work, he earned himself a spot on the roster. After that he was a McDonald’s All-American, then a Kansas Jayhawk, and after that, he was a walking bucket in the League.

No matter where he played, Pierce always had Inglewood close to his heart.

Los Angeles native Kendrick Lamar was only 11-years-old when Pierce was drafted by the Celtics. Lamar’s well known for being a roundball fan and like Pierce, he’s proud of where he comes from.

With Pierce wrapping up his HoF career in LA, Lamar teamed up with the Clippers to officially thank Pierce for “putting Los Angeles on his back.”

“Paul Pierce, you are the Truth,” Lamar says.

Video courtesy of Clippers

The post WATCH: Kendrick Lamar Says Thank You to Paul Pierce appeared first on SLAM.

Ray Allen’s publicist now tells me Ray’s verified Facebook page was hacked, that he didn’t post Celtics-clapback pic. FB unverified the page https://t.co/ELMW5fx4u0

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 9, 2017

Update (May 9): Ray Allen responded with a cryptic Facebook post that features a picture of him and Rajon Rondo:

Last night the stars of the ’08 Celtics title team went on TNT but specifically left out Ray Allen. This morning, he responded (on Facebook) pic.twitter.com/zTi6G3wH5g

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 9, 2017

***

Original Story: On Monday night, Kevin Garnett hosted a 2008 Celtics reunion on Area 21, featuring Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, and Kendrick Perkins. Their old coach, Doc Rivers, also made a surprise visit.

One notable player was missing from the equation: Ray Allen. The sharpshooter, who was a member of the original Boston “Big Three” along with KG and Pierce, left the Celtics to team up with LeBron James and the Miami Heat in July of 2012, effectively ending that era.

The group shared their thoughts on Allen and his departure during the segment.

“It was more than basketball for us… It felt like a sour breakup.”

Pierce, KG, Rondo, Big Baby & Perk share their thoughts on Ray Allen. pic.twitter.com/8JYRWmxm0i

— KG’s Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017

Related
WATCH: Kevin Garnett Hosts 2008 Celtics Reunion on Area 21
Rajon Rondo Won’t Invite Ray Allen To 2008 Celtics 10-Year Anniversary Party, Says Allen ‘Didn’t Bleed Green’

The post WATCH: KG, Pierce, Rondo, Big Baby, and Perk Share Their Thoughts on Ray Allen appeared first on SLAM.

Nine years later, four members of that championship squad joined Kevin Garnett on the set of Area 21 for a reunion: Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins, and Glen “Big Baby” Davis.

The group discussed Game 4 of Warriors-Jazz, Pierce’s final season, retiring a Celtic, and more.

KG welcomes @KendrickPerkins, @iambigbaby11, @RajonRondo & @paulpierce34 to #KGArea21! pic.twitter.com/gz8eLX4JjB

— KG’s Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017

.@paulpierce34 discusses his final season in the @NBA with @KendrickPerkins, @iambigbaby11, @RajonRondo & KG. #KGArea21 pic.twitter.com/ldHWS9GLsQ

— KG’s Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017

They were later surprised by their old coach, Doc Rivers, who had a retirement gift for Paul. Doc also reminisced about when Garnett beat Big Baby in an arm wrestle.

Doc Rivers surprises Kevin Garnett, @KendrickPerkins, @iambigbaby11, @RajonRondo & @paulpierce34 in #KGArea21! pic.twitter.com/nOsdMHOqBH

— KG’s Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017

Doc Rivers, KG, Perk, Big Baby, Rondo & Paul Pierce share memories from their first training camp together in Rome. #KGArea21 pic.twitter.com/gVt9ne6aCJ

— KG’s Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017

“All of y’all were crazy… Everybody was tough. Everybody was competitive.” -Doc Rivers on craziest player he ever coached & 2008 @celtics. pic.twitter.com/1Fm9fU4sRi

— KG’s Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017

Doc Rivers got a retirement gift for @paulpierce34… #KGArea21 pic.twitter.com/SkRf2AmmjQ

— KG’s Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017

One notable player was missing from the reunion: Ray Allen. The sharpshooter, who was a member of the original “Big Three” along with KG and Pierce, left the Celtics to team up with LeBron James and the Miami Heat in July of 2012, effectively ending that era.

Related
Celtics to Retire Paul Pierce’s No. 34 Jersey
Rajon Rondo on Boston Fans: ‘They Have to Boo me’
WATCH: 2 Chainz Posts Up Kevin Garnett on Area 21

The post WATCH: Kevin Garnett Hosts 2008 Celtics Reunion on Area 21 appeared first on SLAM.

Wyc Grousbeck just confirmed with Toucher & Rich that Paul Pierce's number will indeed be retired. #Celtics pic.twitter.com/ztHrb6p4gw

— Toucher and Rich (@Toucherandrich) May 1, 2017

#ThankYouPaul https://t.co/Y5SSj7tdMy

— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 1, 2017

Pierce’s Hall of Fame journey ended on a sour note, as he scored six points in 22 minutes for the LA Clippers in a season-ending 104-91 Game 7 loss to the Utah Jazz.

The 39-year-old says he’s he’ll miss the game, but that he’s at peace with the end.

Per ESPN:

“It was going to be the last time that I hear the roar of the crowd,” Pierce told The Undefeated. “Well, maybe not the last time. There will be the 10-year anniversary [NBA championship] team [reunion]. As a player, it was awesome just being able to appreciate the crowd night in and night out.

 

“The cheers. The boos. The player camaraderie. That’s the stuff I’m going to miss most.”

 

Only John Havlicek scored more points for the Celtics than the 17,630 points that Pierce scored from 1998 to 2013. Pierce’s All-Star appearances were in a Boston uniform. Even after fellow All-Stars Garnett and Allen joined forces with him in 2007, Pierce was still the face of the Celtics as they won the franchise’s first championship since 1986. The Celtics have 21 retired jerseys. Expect the 22nd to be Pierce’s No. 34. The New England Patriots fan is proud of the impact he made doing charity work in Boston.

 

“In 15 years in Boston I was able to leave a lot of great memories on the court,” Pierce said. “I think a lot of people will remember Paul Pierce as embodying what Celtic pride was all about. I wore the jersey each and every day with pride and respect for the organization. I not only gave them everything on the court, but I think they will also remember what I was able to do through my foundation. I was able to inspire a lot of kids in the community who didn’t have a lot of the same opportunities as some other kids.

 

“When you walk into [TD Garden] that first day and you see all those banners and you see all those [retired] legends’ [jerseys], it is a constant reminder each and every day that is what you play for. And to finally win that was like gratification and a weight off your shoulders. I was a franchise player who played for ‘the franchise’ for so many years.”

Related
NBA Players Pay Tribute to Paul Pierce

The post Celtics to Retire Paul Pierce’s No. 34 Jersey appeared first on SLAM.

After the game, NBA players—including Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki—took to twitter to celebrate the future Hall of Famer.

Scroll through the gallery up top to check out what players around the League had to say about the Truth.

RELATED:
Paul Pierce Leaves the NBA With ‘No Regrets’

The post NBA Players Pay Tribute to Paul Pierce appeared first on SLAM.

The Truth enters retirement following a crushing Game 7 loss to the Utah Jazz, but says he enjoyed every bit of his remarkable ride.

The 39-year-old future Hall of Famer is at peace with how his career came to an end.

Per the LA Times:

Sunday, Pierce and the Clippers had their hearts broken again, losing Game 7, 104-91, to the Utah Jazz at Staples Center. Again, he spoke of it being “a tough pill to swallow.”

 

But instead of rubbing the corner of his eyes to fight back the pain, he filled two clear garbage bags with his sneakers. He asked if someone could throw them in his trunk. He thanked the locker room attendants for their hard work. He said goodbye. And, most importantly, he was able to smile.

 

“I really enjoyed myself with this group this year. Regardless of what happened today with the basketball, I’m happy. …What’s I’ve been able to accomplish, what I’ve been able to do with my career, I gave every ounce I could. I have no regrets.”

Related
WATCH: Paul Pierce Scores Final Points of 19-Year NBA Career

The post Paul Pierce Leaves the NBA With ‘No Regrets’ appeared first on SLAM.

The Truth played 22 minutes and scored six points in his final outing. This was his last field goal:

Paul Pierce got the final three points of his 19-year career the hard way pic.twitter.com/9W4MQ1BfLU

— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 30, 2017

Former and current players praised Pierce on Twitter after the game:

Congrats to The Truth @paulpierce34 on ONE hell of a career! #FutureHOF

— DWade (@DwyaneWade) April 30, 2017

Congrats on a hall of fame career @paulpierce34 #truth #HOF

— Kobe Bryant (@kobebryant) April 30, 2017

Congrats @paulpierce34 .. helluva career! You def inspired me as a boy! Enjoy retirement! https://t.co/p2apC7xe9U

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) April 30, 2017

Congrats to the truth on a phenomenal career, one of my favorite players to Watch growing up, hell I still youtube him @paulpierce34

— Anthony Morrow (@MrAnthonyMorrow) April 30, 2017

Thank you OG @paulpierce34

— Jared Sullinger (@Jared_Sully0) April 30, 2017

Thanks for all the memories, Paul!

Related
Chris Paul to Paul Pierce: ‘You’re Not Ending Your Career in Utah’
Paul Pierce Says Farewell Tour Not Causing Distractions

The post WATCH: Paul Pierce Scores Final Points of 19-Year NBA Career appeared first on SLAM.

Facing elimination in Utah last night, Chris Paul made sure the Truth’s career didn’t end.

CP3 turned to Paul Pierce during a timeout and said, “You’re not ending your career in Utah.” pic.twitter.com/jouE2LiU5p

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) April 29, 2017

Paul delivered 29 points and 8 assists while Pierce contributed 3 points and 3 rebounds in 21 minutes. The Clippers scratched out a 98-93 win, forcing a Game 7 in Los Angeles on Sunday.

https://youtu.be/V82VmtbS2fA

The post Chris Paul to Paul Pierce: ‘You’re Not Ending Your Career in Utah’ appeared first on SLAM.

Unlike Kobe Bryant’s circus-like exit, The Truth says his 19th and final NBA season has been distraction-free.

Paul Pierce tonight: "My farewell tour is my time with my teammates."

— Bill Oram (@billoram) March 7, 2017

Paul Pierce: I’m not getting the same reception Kobe was getting, there’s no distraction. (1/2)

— Bill Oram (@billoram) March 7, 2017

Pierce: "There’s no people coming in here with documentary cameras and thousands of people at the hotel. (2/2)

— Bill Oram (@billoram) March 7, 2017

Pierce faced the Cetlics for the last time Monday night, but happily sat on the bench for the entirety of the Clippers’ 116-102 victory.

Per the OC Register:

“I didn’t really expect no farewell tour,” he said. “I didn’t expect that.”

 

Last month in Boston, Doc Rivers gave Pierce the start at small forward and his late 3-pointer nearly blew the roof off of TD Garden. Both Rivers and Pierce downplayed the significance of Monday’s encore.

 

Said Pierce: “I really didn’t put too much thought into this one today. It was more about being in that arena, being in the Garden, more so than playing against the team. It’s a whole new team, new coach. I haven’t really put too much thought in about this being the last game against the Celtics.”

Related
Draymond Green to Paul Pierce: ‘You Thought You Was Kobe?’
Paul Pierce Fires Back at Draymond Green

The post Paul Pierce Says Farewell Tour Not Causing Distractions appeared first on SLAM.

73 wins and u thought u was gonna win a title that yr 3-1 lead oops

— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) February 24, 2017

What a fun, if lopsided, rivalry this is.

The Golden State Warriors erupted for 50 third-quarter points, en route to a 123-113 win against the visiting LA Clippers.

Per the AP:

Draymond Green got hit with a technical while walking away and let his usual fire fly at coach Steve Kerr in the aftermath. They laughed about it later.

 

(Stephen) Curry scored 17 of his 35 points in a 3-point barrage over the final 3:37 of the third quarter, and the two-time reigning MVP also had seven rebounds, five assists and four steals as the Warriors used a big second half to beat the Clippers 123-113 on Thursday night.

 

“I’m not sure what needed to happen but I know we took that quarter over, and it was pretty spectacular,” Green said. “It was a fun night.”

Related
Draymond Green to Paul Pierce: ‘You Thought You Was Kobe?’
Paul Pierce on 2016 Finals: ‘Golden State Choked’

The post Paul Pierce Fires Back at Draymond Green appeared first on SLAM.

Green has been quick to defend KD and he spoke specifically about Pierce’s criticisms earlier this season. Check out the video below to see Draymond go after Pierce, saying:

“Chasing that farewell tour, they don’t love you like that, you can’t get that farewell tour, they don’t love you like that, you thought you was Kobe?”

Draymond to Paul Pierce: “They don't love you like that, you thought you was Kobe?” pic.twitter.com/TqOe6AJSZE

— SLAM (@SLAMonline) February 24, 2017

The post Draymond Green to Paul Pierce: ‘You Thought You Was Kobe?’ appeared first on SLAM.

Battling illness, Kyle Lowry put the team on his back, notching his first triple-double of the season (15p/11r/11a) and the ninth of his career as the Raps snapped a two-game skid. Brook Lopez dropped 20 for the Nets, who have lost twelve straight at home.

Celtics 107 (33-18), Clippers 102 (31-20)

It was an emotional game in Boston, as Paul Pierce played for the last time at TD Garden. The crowd expressed their appreciation for The Truth throughout and implored Doc to put him in down the stretch. When Coach finally obliged, Pierce rewarded the fans by nailing his final shot:

The Truth nails his final shot at TD Garden. pic.twitter.com/obDX4jkVzj

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 5, 2017

What a fitting ending. Boston’s latest star, Isaiah Thomas, put up 28 points and 8 assists in the W.

Thunder 105 (30-22), Trail Blazers 99 (22-30)

It was a battle of the point guards in OKC, with Russ (42p/8a) and the Thunder prevailing over Lillard (29p/7r) and the Blazers.  The highlight of the game went to CJ McCollum, however:

CJ breaking ankles (via @trailblazers) pic.twitter.com/Yp4W989BFR

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 5, 2017

OKC has won their last two, while Portland has dropped their last two.

The post Post Up: Thank You Paul appeared first on SLAM.

The Truth nails his final shot at TD Garden. pic.twitter.com/obDX4jkVzj

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 5, 2017

#ThankYouPaul.

Related
WATCH: Boston Pays Tribute To Paul Pierce

The post WATCH: Paul Pierce Nails His Final Shot At TD Garden appeared first on SLAM.

The Truth entering TD Garden one last time. (via @NBA) pic.twitter.com/h8qLLDw0p4

— SLAM Magazine (@SLAMonline) February 5, 2017

#ThankYouPaul.

The post WATCH: Paul Pierce Makes Final Entrance To TD Garden appeared first on SLAM.

Chris Paul came to his teammate’s aid Tuesday night in Brooklyn, shortly after Pierce clanked a wide-open fastbreak dunk—though, to be fair, a foul was called on the play.

CP3 gave Paul Pierce mock CPR Tuesday night. But after another loss, who is going to resuscitate the Clippers? https://t.co/ixscHZlkoX

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) November 30, 2016

The Nets handed the visiting LA Clippers their third loss in a row.

Per the OC Register:

Paul Pierce was sprawled out on the court Tuesday night in Brooklyn after his 39-year-old body failed him on a two-handed dunk attempt, the ball bounding off the back iron.

 

With the Clippers veteran down, Chris Paul raced over, not to help him up, but to perform mock chest compressions while the two players and the bench laughed.

 

One half, two overtimes and an ejection later, the smiles were gone, with the Clippers stunned and exhausted – 127-122 losers in double overtime – searching for someone or something to slap the paddles on their chest and resuscitate this disaster of a trip. […] “It’s kind of quiet, kind of dead,” center DeAndre Jordan said of the Clippers locker room postgame. “… We’ve got to get back to our ways. If not, it’s going to be a long season.”

Related
WATCH: Doc Rivers Held Back from Ref Following Ejection

The post Paul Pierce Blows Dunk and Chris Paul Revives Him appeared first on SLAM.

After deliberating for a second, Pierce speaks his mind:

Golden State choked. Like, seriously, I mean 3-1? You’re not supposed to lose. Three-to-one, you should never lose. Golden State choked.

Asked then if he had ever blown a 3-1 lead, Pierce responded:

That would never happen.

Pierce has been critical of the Warriors as of late. Last month, he called out Kevin Durant for joining the Warriors, which caused Draymond Green respond to critics of KD’s move.

Related
Paul Pierce To Retire as a Celtic After This Season
Paul Pierce: Clippers Are a ‘Super Team’

The post Paul Pierce on 2016 Finals: ‘Golden State Choked’ appeared first on SLAM.

Looks like The Truth plans on enjoying his final ride.

Related
Paul Pierce To Retire As A Celtic After This Season
Paul Pierce: Clippers are a ‘Super Team’

The post WATCH: Paul Pierce Dressed Up As Rick James For Clippers Game appeared first on SLAM.

Green wondered aloud when these haters will eventually get bored with this storyline.

Full Draymond Green comments blasting Paul Pierce and others talking about KD: "At what point do they get bored?" https://t.co/gYQaMz8o1u

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 14, 2016

The Warriors’ All-Star forward insists that KD and the rest of his teammates simply laugh at the furor his free agency decision created.

Per the Mercury News:

GREEN: “I just wonder at what point do they get bored talking about the same thing. You got all these guys talking. Like (Paul) Pierce today, like, dude nobody care what you did or who you did it for. Just give it a break. Everybody got something to say and want to take everything he say and twist it. Like, he play with the Warriors. OKC has their team, we have our team. He left there. Nobody complain when somebody leave Apple and go to Google. Aren’t they in competition with each other? Nobody talk junk about the CEO who leaves Apple and goes to Google. As a basketball player, you are the CEO of a business. You are a business. Kevin Durant is a big business. He is the CEO of that business. So him going to play basketball for a different team, the CEO decided to leave where he was at and go somewhere else.”

 

“But there’s so many guys in this league that are so stupid they don’t think like that. They don’t think business wise. It happens every day in the world. But in basketball it’s a problem. Aren’t you competitive in your day job if you work for Apple? Don’t you want to outdo Google? What’s the difference on the basketball court. It’s your day job. You want to do what’s better for you. If it’s better for your family life, better for your happiness. Ain’t no one criticizing them. I don’t understand it. I’ll never understand it. So that’s just me. And I’d be willing to bet my salary ain’t many guys in this league more competitive than me.”

 

How has Kevin been behind the scenes with this stuff?

 

GREEN: “He’s been himself. No one is worried about that. He laugh at it the times I’ve seen it. It’s a joke for real. Like these dudes got kids and they worried about what this grown man is doing with his life? Give it a break.”

Related
Draymond Green: ‘No Chance’ Warriors Sign Kevin Durant if OKC Reaches NBA Finals

The post Draymond Green Fires Back at Kevin Durant Critics appeared first on SLAM.

The Truth says joining a team that had just knocked you out of the Playoffs is a questionable career move.

Pierce, 39, would also like you to get off his damn lawn.

Paul Pierce chimes in on KD's decision to sign with GSW (via @hoopshype): https://t.co/nZwAil1bEF pic.twitter.com/0VwQGFbTNp

— Jon Hamm (@JonMHamm) October 13, 2016

Per HoopsHype (via SiriusXM NBA Radio):

Paul Pierce on Kevin Durant leaving Oklahoma City:

 

“I could have left Boston years ago but I stuck it out. I just feel like when you’re that close as a competitor, you don’t go join the team that just pushed you out. That’s just me personally but we’re living in a day and time where there’s a new generation. Guys I don’t think they are as hungry or competitive as my generation was, and that’s why you’ll probably see more of that.”

Related
Paul Pierce Says Younger Generation is Less Competitive Because of Computers and NBA2K

The post Paul Pierce Calls Out Kevin Durant for Joining the Warriors appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce announced his intentions in an interview with SiriusXM’s NBA Radio:

Paul Pierce confirmed to us on @SiriusXMNBA that he'll retire as a Celtic after the season… Said he owes it to himself and the fans.

— Justin Termine (@TermineRadio) October 12, 2016

The Truth, along with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, helped Boston win a title in 2008, ending a 22-year championship drought. Over the summer, Doc Rivers, who currently coaches Pierce in Los Angeles and coached him in Boston, said that the sure fire Hall of Famer “has to retire as a Celtic.”

Related
Paul Pierce: Clippers Are A ‘Super Team’
Doc Rivers Made a Wheelchair Joke After Paul Pierce Was Injured
WATCH: Clippers Pretend To Stab Paul Pierce In Possible Boston Finale

The post Paul Pierce To Retire As A Celtic After This Season appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce cites the stars that dot the Clips’ roster, and wonders aloud why they shouldn’t be considered among the League’s truly eite.

Paul Pierce when asked about the Warriors as super team: "I think we have a super team here." Lists Paul, Griffin, Jordan, JJ and Crawford.

— Jesse Dougherty (@dougherty_jesse) September 26, 2016

The 38-year-old hopes to contend for one final championship before calling it quits next summer.

Per the LA Times:

“To me, I think we have a super team here,” Pierce stated at Clippers media day on Monday. “You look at Chris Paul who’s been first-team all-NBA … Blake Griffin first-team … DeAndre Jordan currently first-team All-NBA.

 

“I mean how many teams can currently say that? You have the best three-point shooter in the NBA (J.J. Redick). You have the Sixth Man of the Year (Jamal Crawford). I mean why is this not a super team? What defines super team? When you look at those stats and you hear when I’m saying, this could very well easily be what’s considered a super team.”

 

Pierce conceded that the Warriors are also a super team, and added that Derrick Rose said the Knicks are. That leaves three of them, by his unofficial count, and his focus now is helping the Clippers stand out of the pack. […] “I don’t know how many super teams are out there, but there’s definitely three,” Pierce said, laughing. “Now I get an opportunity to play on another one on the Los Angeles Clippers. We just have to go out there and win it now, so we can be kind of inked into the history books as one of the great super teams.”

The post Paul Pierce: Clippers are a ‘Super Team’ appeared first on SLAM.

It's time. https://t.co/8f1mtGapAO

— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) September 26, 2016

Pierce says he’s given the game of basketball everything he has, and that he’s at peace with moving on.

The 38-year-old future Hall of Famer has career averages of 20 points and 5.7 rebounds.

Per The Players’ Tribune:

This is is it, my final season.

 

It’s time to move on from the game of basketball.

 

Just like any difficult decision, I think you’ve got to be at peace with yourself. I’m at peace with retiring, but I’ve got one more ride left. One more season. One more opportunity.

Related
Doc Rivers: Paul Pierce ‘Has to’ Retire as a Boston Celtic

The post Paul Pierce to Retire After Next Season appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce, 38, has yet to decide if he’ll return for a 19th season in the NBA (though Rivers insists that the veteran forward has something left in the tank.)

Nearly a decade after he worried about their closing window, Doc Rivers thinks his old Big Three can still play: https://t.co/HkMvZYtErw

— Chris Forsberg (@ESPNForsberg) September 6, 2016

Rivers won a title in Boston in 2008, and still believes the C’s famed Big Three of Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen—all of whom have uncertain basketball futures—can still hoop.

Per ESPN:

“Depends on the day I talk to him. Paul has had the summer, he’s gone back and forth,” Rivers said while back in Boston to host the annual ABCD Hoops Dream fundraiser at TD Garden. “I think he has a right to do that. I really do. […] Paul didn’t have the best year last year. I don’t think he wants to go out that way. So I think that’s why he’s working to try to come back. But he still may change his mind next week. So we just have to wait. I told him if I see him at training camp, I’m assuming he’s playing.”

 

Rivers reaffirmed that, should Pierce choose to retire, he’ll encourage him to sign a one-day contract with the Boston Celtics in order to retire as a member of the Celtics organization. […] “I think it’s important. I think we have to do that. And I think we will,” Rivers said. “[Celtics president of basketball operations] Danny [Ainge] and [assistant general manager] Mike [Zarren], we’ve already talked. The day [Pierce] retires, he’s going to retire a Celtic. He has to. Paul’s a Celtic. So when he retires, he’s got to retire as a Celtic. I don’t think anyone disagrees with me.”

 

“I don’t know. I won’t talk about what we talked about. I think if Ray was in the right spot, he may play,” said Rivers. “I think Ray wants to golf a lot too, right now. But Ray is in amazing shape. I don’t know how he does that. I didn’t know how he does that as a player; I don’t know how he does it as a non-player. He’s probably in top-5 shape in the NBA. So could Ray play? Absolutely, I believe he could.”

 

“I think Kevin — and I know it, because I talk to him — loves the young guys on his team,” Rivers said. “He loves how they work. He thinks they have an old-school mentality. So I think he’s really gotten into Kevin, the teacher. And I honestly never saw that coming, either. Yet he was a phenomenal teacher with [Boston]; I just didn’t think he would have the patience to do it. And I think Kevin loves teaching these young guys.”

The post Doc Rivers: Paul Pierce ‘Has to’ Retire as a Boston Celtic appeared first on SLAM.

Sources: Current plan is for Paul Pierce to return for 19th season https://t.co/VmP2myYfnG

— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) August 17, 2016

The 38-year-old played 18.1 minutes a night in his 18th NBA season, and struggled in his reunion with head coach Doc Rivers.

Pierce refused to speculate on whether or not he’d retire this summer.

Per the LA Daily News:

Pierce has wavered with his decision for most of the summer, and another change in plans wouldn’t be shocking.

 

“I just don’t want to make an emotional decision right now,” he said after the Clippers were eliminated in the playoffs last spring. “I’ll just take some time off, sit down with my family and think long and hard.”

 

The Clippers signed Pierce to a three-year deal worth approximately $10 million before the 2015-16 season, though no one, Pierce included, expected three more years. […] “I don’t have much basketball left – whether it’ll be this year or another year. To come home and play in front of family and friends and possibly win a championship, it’s like a dream come true,” Pierce said prior to last season. “If we win this year, win a championship, I’ll probably be done with basketball to be honest.”

The post Report: Paul Pierce Expected to Return With Clippers Next Season appeared first on SLAM.

Paul Pierce is down. Had to be helped off the court by teammates. https://t.co/A7UPMNZl8X

— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) March 29, 2016

Doc Rivers on Paul Pierce's injury: "Of course, the Laker fans thought he was going to bring out a wheelchair."

— Ben Bolch (@latbbolch) March 29, 2016

Pierce, you may recall, was infamously carted off the floor in a wheelchair during the 2008 NBA Finals when both he and Rivers were members of the title-winning Celtics.

The Clippers have won three in a row, and will soon welcome back Blake Griffin.

Per the LA Times:

There was widespread concern that it might have been the end of a Hall of Fame career, though Pierce appeared to avoid serious injury during the Clippers’ 114-90 thrashing of the Boston Celtics. […] The team announced Pierce had sustained only a sprained right ankle and a bruised right knee, sparing him the cruel fate of having his last game end this way against the team he had long starred for and led to an NBA title.

 

“Of course, the Laker fans thought they were going to bring out a wheelchair at one point,” Doc Rivers joked, referring to Pierce’s infamous in-game return during the 2008 Finals.

 

The Clippers hardly seemed undermanned after Pierce’s departure. Chris Paul and DeAndre Jordan notched double-doubles in only three quarters and six players scored in double figures to lead the Clippers (46-27) to a third consecutive victory. […] Pierce finished with eight points, three rebounds and two assists in 11 minutes in what might have been his final appearance against his former team even if he is able to play again this season. The 38-year-old has said he will decide this summer whether to return for a 19th NBA season.

The post Doc Rivers Made a Wheelchair Joke After Paul Pierce Was Injured appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce was stabbed multiple times in a nightclub incident in Boston 16 years ago, and the Clips thought it’d be funny to pay homage during pre-game introductions.

Isaiah Thomas and the Celtics had the last laugh, however, with a 139-134 overtime victory.

Per WEEI:

As Paul Pierce returned to TD Garden as a member of the Clippers, the 18-year veteran said Wednesday’s game against the Celtics might be the last time he plays in Boston. […] “It could be, Pierce said before the game. “I’m not 100 percent sure, but, you know, like I’ve been saying the last two years, I’m taking it year by year, and this could possibly be.”

 

For 15 seasons, Pierce called Boston his home, and he climbed to second on the team’s career scoring list. Although it’s been nearly three years since he last played a game in a Celtics uniform, coming back to TD Garden as a member of the visiting team is still odd for the veteran.

 

“I think the weird thing is just being on this side of the bench and this side of the locker room,” Pierce explained. “The locker room is a little weird. I used to walk up the stairs and take a right instead of a left. It’s fun I get to enjoy it because it might be the last time I’m back.”

The post WATCH: Clippers Pretend to Stab Paul Pierce in Possible Boston Finale appeared first on SLAM.

With the news of Blake Griffin’s multi-week absence, the Clippers received much-needed help from secondary sources, as Paul Pierce scored a season-high 20 points off the bench, and J.J. Redick hit five from beyond the arc, including this clutch triple with only a minute remaining.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJGVdT5LZjk&ab_channel=XimoPierto2

76ers 111 (2-30), Suns 104 (12-20)

The Suns are going to need to regroup after Saturday’s frustrating performance. As if it’s not bad enough to lose to a team with a .063 winning percentage, Eric Bledsoe left the game with a sprained left knee in the first half. Having now dropped four straight, Jeff Hornacek and the rest of Phoenix’s coaching staff are likely nostalgic for the days when Markieff Morris’ towel-throwing incident was their biggest concern.

Meanwhile, the rebuilding 76ers can hang their hats on a well-earned victory.

This Sauce is for DUNKING. https://t.co/JmgrZOqNl5

— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) December 27, 2015

Cavaliers 76 (19-9), Trail Blazers 105 (12-20)

The Cavaliers have had a December to forget. With a 6-8 on the month, Cleveland followed up a Christmas loss to the Warriors with a 29-point drubbing to Portland. The Trail Blazers, who turned Saturday’s game into a laugher by the second quarter, seemed to rub certain Cavaliers the wrong way.

https://twitter.com/TheCauldron/status/680972787222196224

Nuggets 86 (12-18), Spurs 101 (26-6)

The Spurs continued their winning ways without the services of Tim Duncan, as Boris Diaw posted 16 points in his place en route to their 26th straight home victory. The Nuggets bench did an excellent job picking up the offensive slack – scoring 53 points compared to 33 from the starting five – but it’s difficult for Denver to compete with Danilo Gallinari sidelined.

Bulls 111 (16-12), Mavericks 118 (17-13)

Dallas went off for a barrage of three’s, including seven from J.J. Barea and three from Dirk Nowitzki. Chandler Parsons, who looks to have fully recuperated from an off-season surgery,  filled up his stat sheet with 20 points, five boards, and five dimes. The Bulls wasted an incredible performance from Derrick Rose, who scored 25 points on 12-20 shooting- including this mesmerizing wraparound layup.

Vintage Derrick Rose #NBAvote (WGN-TV) https://t.co/ZL7cRlqTRh

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) December 27, 2015

Pacers 102 (17-12), Timberwolves 88 (11-19)

Andrew Wiggins may have thrown a put-back dunk over Paul George, but Indiana got the last laugh by snapping a three-game losing streak. Playing a career-high 40 minutes, Karl-Anthony Towns went to work with 24 points and eight boards.

Celtics 99 (17-13), Pistons 93 (17-14)

In a re-match of a wild quadruple-overtime game on Dec. 18, the Celtics emerged victorious thanks to a combined 35 points from the team’s starting backcourt. Andre Drummond’s woes from the charity stripe continued with a 4-10 showing, but he posted an emphatic double-double with 22 points and 22 rebounds.

Knicks 98 (14-17), Hawks 117 (20-12)

Showing off their roster depth, the Hawks overcame a 15-point deficit at halftime to hand New York their third straight defeat. With coach Derek Fisher holding Kristaps Porzingis and Robin Lopez to limited minutes, the Knicks were outmatched in a battle of big men; Al Horford and Paul Millsap torched New York for 41 combined points.

Grizzlies 92 (16-16), Hornets 98 (16-13)

The Hornets went 14-for-32 from downtown en route to snapping a three-game losing streak. Mike Conley led Memphis’ scoring with 19 points after Mario Chalmers was unceremoniously ejected in the first half.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1yXjTdXxkUI&ab_channel=AlexSkrinjorich

Heat 108 (18-11), Magic 101 (17-13)

After a close overtime win against New Orleans on Christmas, Miami took care of business against a formidable team. Hassan Whiteside stuffed three shots, while Chris Bosh, Goran Dragic, and Dwyane Wade all contributed over 20 points.

Rockets 108 (16-16), Pelicans 110 (10-20)

Breakout performances from Eric Gordon and Anthony Davis – as well as this Ryan Anderson slam – helped New Orleans eke out a win over the underachieving Rockets. After seeing his team’s lackadaisical play cost them a winnable game, Rockets coach J.B. Bickerstaff aired out his players.

Bickerstaff via @Jonathan_Feigen:
"We've disrespected the game."https://t.co/5KEHJq7NeO pic.twitter.com/oQCqahWHxk

— Brian T. Smith (@BTSmithUK) December 27, 2015

Raptors 111 (19-12), Bucks 90 (12-19)

Khris Middleton tied his season-high with five three-pointers, but to no avail. The Raptors cruised to their second straight victory and remain atop the Atlantic Division. While attempting (what would have been) a huge two-handed dunk, Jabari Parker became an unwitting guest of Bismack Biyombo’s block party.

https://vine.co/v/iA21PdI0p7I

Wizards 111 (14-14), Nets 96 (8-22)

With Otto Porter, Gary Neal, Nene Hilario, and Drew Gooden all banged up, Jarell Eddie took advantage of an opportunity to play in his NBA debut, draining four of his five three-point attempts. A former Virginia Tech Hokie, Eddie had just signed with the Wizards on Tuesday.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-zz48LDhMI&ab_channel=DownToBuck

The post Post Up: Dagger appeared first on SLAM.

A final mix will also feature the ’04 Pistons, Gilbert Arenas, Jason Kidd and other players who weren’t part of the 12-part series.

The post Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson and The ‘End of an Era’ (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

#TheQuest continues on TNT… …this time with the @LAClippers and @BillyCrystal. https://t.co/5P3OewoLjY

— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) October 22, 2015

The spot has the Clips navigating the high seas in their journey towards that elusive championship, and Crystal lets off a decent joke about the DeAndre free agency fiasco from this summer.

Related
LeBron James, Kyrie Irving & Kevin Love Star in NBA on TNT’s ‘Quest’ Spot (VIDEO)

The post WATCH: Chris Paul, DeAndre Jordan and Paul Pierce Star in TNT ‘Quest’ Ad appeared first on SLAM.

According to Pierce’s former Washington Wizards teammate Marcin Gortat, Pierce gave a hard time to anyone who dared to wear LBJ’s Nikes to practice.

Gortat on what he learned from Paul Pierce: “Not to wear LeBron James’s shoes to practice.” He mentioned some other things, too.

— Jorge Castillo (@jorgeccastillo) September 28, 2015

Pierce’s new LA Clippers teammates would be wise to take note.

Per the WaPo:

“Well, what I learned from him, you’re not allowed to wear LeBron James’s shoes to practice,” center Marcin Gortat joked. “I learned you have to be two hours before practice to lift. For warmups, you have to do at least jump rope. If Paul Pierce does 10 reps on the bench press, you got to do 11 because he’s 40 years old [actually, 37] so you got to do at least one more. And I learned people look good in glasses, too. So, I learned a lot from him. Just the approach to the game. I wish I learned the trash talking in a game but I just don’t have the bling-bling on my finger so I can’t do it. He’s special.

 

“Just a [37]-year-old guy who was here two hours before practice doing jump rope, staying on the treadmill, doing everything. I mean, incredible. Incredible work ethic. Incredible basketball IQ. It was fun. It was fun to play with him.”

 

Pierce’s decision to bolt Washington for the Los Angeles Clippers, where he is reuniting with Coach Doc Rivers to return home for the end of his career, left a hole for the Wizards on the court. He was the team’s starting small forward, stretch-four specialist and late-game shot-maker. But the Wizards made moves to replace his on-court production. The question is who will replace Pierce’s leadership and intangibles, contributions his teammates insisted made a difference.

Related
Paul Pierce ‘Still Can’t Stand’ LeBron James and Other Stars
Paul Pierce Compares Rivalry With LeBron James to ‘Fighting for the Same Girl’

The post Paul Pierce Doesn’t Want Teammates Wearing LeBron James’ Shoes appeared first on SLAM.

"That will be tough on some guys in L.A. to take on that (reduced) role *cough* Kobe *cough* I mean, you know, we get older." —Paul Pierce

— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) September 25, 2015

Paul Pierce said that on the @FredNBCLA show on @TheBeast980 today at Clippers media day.

— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) September 25, 2015

The post Paul Pierce: Will Be ‘Tough’ For Kobe Bryant to Accept Reduced Role appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce signed a three-year deal in June, and insisted that he’ll play any role that would help the Clippers win a title.

More from ESPN:

PLAYA VISTA, Calif. — Paul Pierce says his 18th professional season will be his last if his new team, the Los Angeles Clippers, wins the 2016 NBA championship next June.

 

“If we win this year — win a championship — I’ll probably be done with basketball, just to be honest,” Pierce said at Clippers media day Friday. “It would be a dream — to be home, to be able to carry the championship trophy down Manchester Boulevard — it would be a dream come true. I’m excited for this moment.”

 

Though championship parades in Los Angeles tend to follow a route several miles north of Pierce’s choice of Manchester Boulevard through his native Inglewood, the veteran forward emphasized that his intangible contributions to the Clippers will be as valuable as any on-court production.

 

“I think I can bring an attitude,” Pierce said. “Some teams just need a personality adjustment. I can help in that department. I think with the guys we picked up, I can really help in that department. I think to win in this league, you have to have a certain nastiness to you, a certain attitude.”

The post Paul Pierce: ‘I’ll Probably Be Done With Basketball’ If Clippers Win Championship appeared first on SLAM.

For Pierce, 37, the Clippers’ three-year, $10 million offer was a no-brainer.

Rivers doesn’t envision Pierce taking on a very large role with the loaded Clippers next season.

Per ESPN:

Rivers did, however, have an idea how the 37-year-old could help his team. […] “Well, hopefully make some shots when we are up 20 in the fourth quarter. That would be nice,” quipped Rivers.

 

Turning more serious, Rivers added, “Paul will be great. Paul, I don’t want to overuse him. I know that. So, I don’t even know how we are going to use him yet. I want to play him at [power forward] a lot. What I want him to be is healthy in the playoffs. So however we can figure that out, that’s what I’m going to try to do.”

 

Also intriguing is the fact Rivers suggested that Pierce’s choice of playing locations this season might have come down to Boston or Los Angeles. One year after the Washington Wizards won a tug-of-war for his services, Rivers reveled in getting Pierce to sign a three-year, $10 million contract with the Clippers this offseason. […] “I’m really looking forward to him. You know, I think he wanted to go one of two places: One, he’d come back [to Boston], or he wanted to finish his career at home where he grew up,” Rivers said while standing courtside at TD Garden as part of a fundraising event for ABCD Hoops Dreams that also featured current Celtics coach Brad Stevens.

The post Doc Rivers: Paul Pierce Chose Clippers Over Celtics appeared first on SLAM.

The Truth’s attempt at the ceremonial first pitch was, um, poor.

With my boy at the Dodgers game pic.twitter.com/BtBjPoD8KU

— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) July 29, 2015

Paul Pierce's first pitch = F https://t.co/e1U0L1n2bb

— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 29, 2015

Oakland ended up with a 2-0 road win.

The post WATCH: Paul Pierce Throws a Terrible First Pitch at Dodgers Game appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce, 37, spent the majority of his Hall of Fame career hooping for the Boston Celtics, and says that made it virtually impossible for him to consider ever putting on a Los Angeles Lakers jersey.

The Clips inked The Truth to a three-year, $10 million deal.

Per the Boston Globe:

“It’s been pretty wild,” Pierce said of convincing (DeAndre) Jordan to pass up a max contract offer with the Dallas Mavericks and return to Los Angeles. “I think that whole saga took a form and shade of its own. It got a lot bigger than it was supposed to be. […] I made my decision to be a Clipper. DeAndre changed his mind to be a Clipper.”

 

After spending 15 seasons in Boston, Pierce played one season in Brooklyn after a trade, and then signed last summer with Washington. Despite an impressive playoff performance and raves from teammates, Pierce opted out of his Wizards deal this spring and signed a three-year deal with the Clippers.

 

“It’s a dream come true to be able to come home, finally,” Pierce said. “I grew up a Laker fan but playing on all the Boston Celtic teams … there’s no way I could go there — so this was the next best choice. And it’s always been a dream to play in front of my family and friends.”

Related
John Wall Not ‘Shocked’ Paul Pierce Left the Wizards

The post Paul Pierce Says ‘No Way’ He Could Play for the Lakers appeared first on SLAM.

John Wall enjoyed his lone season playing alongside the wily Pierce, but says he’s not surprised The Truth chose to ink a three-year, $10 million deal with the LA Clippers.

Wall, 24, says he’s ready to fill the leadership void left by Pierce in DC.

Per the WaPo:

Washington offered a one-year deal worth $6.6 million with a team option for the second year, but Pierce wanted two years guaranteed.

 

“I wasn’t shocked,” Wall said at Thomas and Mack Center as the Wizards’ summer league team played the Dallas Mavericks. “I kind of knew it, You can just kind of tell by somebody’s voice, either they’re leaving or going to retire. […] I think he really wanted to come back to D.C. and enjoyed it but I think he wanted a two-year deal or whatever so I knew it wasn’t going to work after that. And then have the opportunity to be back in L.A. with his family, staying in his own house and have an opportunity to reunite with Doc Rivers and Sam Cassell, I knew it was going to happen.”

 

“It’s all on me now. I feel like it is,” Wall said. “Going into my sixth year and having three great veterans in Trevor Ariza and Al Harrington and definitely Paul Pierce, those guys taught me to be a leader the best way you can be. And now I have to go in there from Day 1 and try to do what I got to do and do what those guys did in the past and lead my team. […] When I came in young I didn’t want to do it because everybody always was like, ‘Well, he’s the No. 1 pick. He thinks he’s all that.’ That’s how I felt. And just getting the respect. When I get the respect from a Hall of Famer in Paul Pierce, who tells me, ‘You got to be our leader, you’re our best player. We want you to do these types of things.’ Now I feel like I can say anything to anybody in a respectful way. Not trying to disrespect anybody and do it in a professional manner to make sure that our team is going to be the best it can be.”

The post John Wall Not ‘Shocked’ Paul Pierce Left the Wizards appeared first on SLAM.

Members from both the LA Clippers and Dallas Mavericks are in Houston this very moment (via planes, trains, automobiles and banana boat), where the big fella works out and makes his offseason home, to convince him to sign on the dotted line.

Jordan is said to be having second thoughts about taking the Mavs’ $80 million over four seasons; the Clips are hoping to show him the love and adulation he so desperately craves—not to mention $110 million in salary over five years—in a last-ditch effort.

Like I said, this started Monday with DJ having second thoughts and CALLING Doc Rivers.

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 8, 2015

Chris Paul ended his Caribbean vacation short, Blake Griffin flew in on Tuesday. JJ Redick, obviously driving from Austin.

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 8, 2015

I'm told the meeting with DeAndre is starting w/in the hour and the Clippers are "hopeful" he's coming back.

— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) July 8, 2015

Was just told the Mavericks are "nervous" about DeAnde Jordan and Clippers situation. WOW

— Brad Turner (@BA_Turner) July 8, 2015

Clips, I'm told, firmly believe they'll be bringing DeAndre Jordan back to LA on a plane tonight. This story, mind you, puts the F in fluid

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 8, 2015

And now, here are a bunch of funny emojis (plus a Paul Pierce old-man gaffe) from the concerned parties.

— Mike Woodson (@MikeWoodsonNBA) July 8, 2015

pic.twitter.com/SIyHJjDScR

— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) July 8, 2015

— Chris Paul (@CP3) July 8, 2015

— Blake Griffin (@blakegriffin32) July 8, 2015

— JJ Redick (@JJRedick) July 8, 2015

— Chandler Parsons (@ChandlerParsons) July 8, 2015

Got all that? Good.

Yahoo! Sports sums up the madness:

The Clippers have a strong, renewed hope that Jordan is on the cusp of changing his mind and could return to them, league sources said. […] Jordan is working out in Houston and expected to meet with a Rivers-led Clippers contingent Wednesday afternoon, sources said.

 

Jordan committed to signing a four-year, $80 million deal with the Mavericks on July 3, but can’t sign any deal until the league’s moratorium is lifted on Thursday. Dallas became aware of the Clippers’ renewed pursuit on Wednesday morning and is planning an aggressive response, sources said.

 

Clippers All-Star Chris Paul – whose poor relationship with Jordan played a part in the center’s original decision to sign with Dallas – has returned to the mainland United States after a vacation and expressed a willingness to join Rivers and Clippers officials in Texas to meet with Jordan, league sources said.

The post Clippers ‘Hopeful’ DeAndre Jordan Will Change His Mind About Signing With Mavs appeared first on SLAM.

“Doc Rivers, you had one job!” – J.J. Redick, probably.

According to the LA Clippers’ sharpshooter, Rivers and the rest of the front-office failed miserably this summer, as they helplessly watched coveted free agent center DeAndre Jordan bolt to the rival Dallas Mavericks.

But it wasn’t all bad news for the Clips—they did manage to trade for Lance Stephenson, inked Paul Pierce to a three-year deal, unveiled wildly unpopular new uniforms … and, well, nevermind:

The Los Angeles Clippers had one big priority to deal with this offseason, and they dropped the ball.

 

That means their offseason has been a giant failure, at least according to Clippers guard J.J. Redick.

 

Losing Jordan will undoubtedly be a big blow for Lob City, and Redick isn’t downplaying the loss. While on Bleacher Report Radio on Tuesday, Redick told Nicole Zaloumis that he would give the Clippers’ offseason an “F.”

The post J.J. Redick Grades the LA Clippers’ Offseason: ‘F’ appeared first on SLAM.

In exchange, the Milwaukee Bucks will receive a future second-round pick.

Milwaukee!!! I know it's was only there for 1 yr but what a yr!!! From 17 wins to 41 and the playoffs!! We started the foundation #goodluck

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) July 3, 2015

DC!!!! Glad to be a Wizard!!! Ive always been a huge fan of @JohnWall and Beal!! And I'm back my guy @MGortat! Just wanna help anyway I can

— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) July 3, 2015

Dudley, 29, opted into the final year of his contract at $4.25 million for the 2015-16 season.

Per ESPN:

The Wizards had a void on the wing and in terms of veteran leadership after Paul Pierce’s decision to sign with the Los Angeles Clippers.

 

Dudley rebounded following a disappointing stint with the Clippers, who dealt the swingman to the Bucks in a cost-cutting move after the 2013-14 season. After shooting a career-low 43.8 percent with the Clippers, he connected at a 46.8 percent rate in his first season with the Bucks, though he averaged just 7.2 points per game.

 

Dudley’s real value comes from his ability to defend multiple positions. When Milwaukee elected to go small, the 6-foot-7 small forward would rotate to play power forward.

The post Milwaukee Bucks Trade Jared Dudley to the Washington Wizards appeared first on SLAM.

From TNT‘s David Aldridge:

Wished I was wrong, but wasn't: Paul Pierce agrees to three-year deal with Clippers, per sources.

— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 1, 2015

Pierce deal is at the mini-mid level for taxpaying teams, per sources. Two years beginning at $3.3, with option for third year.

— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 1, 2015

Three-year deal is worth about $10.5 million, though I doubt Pierce will ever see that third year. Tough blow for Wizards.

— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) July 1, 2015

The post Report: Paul Pierce to Sign 3-Year Deal With Los Angeles Clippers appeared first on SLAM.

Before this season, I never appreciated the 37-year-old future Hall of Famer. The reason why is entirely rooted in my own provincial prejudices, as I am congenitally unable to enjoy anyone in Celtic green. This changed as Pierce, the ultimate NBA throwback, came to my now-hometown of Washington and looked for a fleeting moment in this year’s Playoffs like the first player in a generation with the ability to throw this team forward. The ultimate 1970s-looking player appeared as if he could make the Wiz nationally relevant for the first time since Magic Johnson was in high school.

Before Atlanta jettisoned the Wizards in a manner still too cruel to contemplate, and Pierce was throwing in game winners with ease, he looked like he could be our Neo, the person with the ability to break what is known locally as the Curse O’ Les Boulez (The Bullets). This is the point where I should explain that when it comes to sports, I absolutely believe in curses. This is, at heart, a question of mass psychology: the idea that a community can collectively engage in an act of self-fulfilling prophecy. I also believe that there is nowhere in our society where curses take stronger root than in the world of sports. They are like a gray cloud with the capacity to envelope a team, a fan base and every player who comes into contact with it. The cloud might not be visible to the naked eye, but it can hover over franchises like a Swoosh-laden Dementor sucking the life out of an arena every time hope reveals its head. This has been the reality for the Wizards over the course of decades. This community has lived through John “Hot Plate” Williams, “Dinner Bell” Mel Turpin and drafting the tallest and shortest players in NBA history—Muggsy and Manute—as press stunts, only to get rid of both players before they became real NBA players.

This is the team that seemed to take glee in crushing hope under its heel, trading young  C-Webb for old Mitch Richmond; young Rasheed for old Rod Strickland; maxing out Gil Arenas after knee surgery and giving up the chance to draft Stephen Curry to trade their pick for Randy Foye (not that they would have drafted Curry; that’s the curse). This team is so cursed that it had Michael Jordan on the premises and the gray cloud was stronger than his Airness, fastening him to the floor and sweeping away talented but psychologically fragile No. 1 pick Kwame Brown.

But we also know that this cursed spell of mass psychology can be broken. It usually takes a player or coach with the gumption to look it in the eye and laugh. You need a Pedro Martinez, who when asked about The Curse of the Bambino said, “Wake up the Bambino and let me face him—I’ll drill him in the ass.” You need someone cocky enough, brash enough and ballsy enough to stare at that damn gray cloud and smile. Very few in history have displayed this power: the power to smile while seething as they changed the fortunes of allegedly cursed franchises. Pedro had it. Isiah Thomas had it. Jordan had it in Chicago. Lawrence Taylor had it. Joe Montana and Jerry Rice had it. I thought Paul Pierce was our Pedro: the one to drill this curse in the ass the way he drilled last-second shots with the game on the line. I think he can still be that guy. People remember that quote from Pedro about nailing Babe Ruth but forget that he said it in 2001 and that the Red Sox still had several more years of heartbreak before they finally won in 2004.

Pierce can still be our Pedro, but time is not on our side. So hang on, Paul. Please. I don’t care if you average 5 points in 10 minutes next year as long as you are ready come Playoff time. We have John Wall. We have Bradley Beal. We still need our Neo: the man who can control the destiny of Bullets. That’s Paul Pierce. And that’s the damn truth.

The post Truth Shall Set Us Free appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce retweeted this from the Players Tribune:

.@paulpierce34 has informed The Players' Tribune that he is opting out of his contract to be a free agent. pic.twitter.com/k9j2Qls6TP

— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) June 27, 2015

The post Paul Pierce Will Opt Out of His Contract and Become a Free Agent appeared first on SLAM.

It’s unclear if Pierce wants to opt-in for $5.5 million with Washington, or reunite with Doc Rivers in Los Angeles for the mini-midlevel exception of $3.37 million.

Pierce candidly revealed he wasn’t sure about his basketball future minutes after he heaved a last-gasp three-pointer to extend the Wizards’ season a tick of a second too late. He indicated retiring was a possibility, but a month later Pierce is set on playing next season, according to a person with knowledge of the situation.

 

The question is where. The 10-time all-star will likely decide between two teams for his 18th campaign: the Wizards and Los Angeles Clippers. Pierce emphasized he loved his year with the Wizards, guiding the Wizards’ young core and getting another crack at the postseason in a more diminished role. And just because he opts out his contract doesn’t mean he won’t stay in the District; Pierce, who turns 38 in October, could sign a one-year deal for more than $5.5 million to stick around, which would also help the Wizards keep the flexibility they desire for the much anticipated summer of 2016.

 

The Clippers will likely only be able to offer Pierce the mini-midlevel exception of $3.37 million, but they are arguably closer to hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy than the Wizards — even in the tough Western Conference — and provide Pierce two amenities the Wizards cannot: A return home and a reunion with Doc Rivers. Pierce grew up in Los Angeles and Rivers, now the Clippers’ maestro as the organization’s coach and general manager, coached him for nine seasons with the Boston Celtics. They won the title together there in 2008.

The post Report: Paul Pierce ‘Set On Playing’ in 2015-16 Season appeared first on SLAM.

Rivers says that Stephenson can play multiple positions, and envisions him as a “utility player.”

The Paul Pierce rumors persist for the Clips, and Jamal Crawford is reportedly also on the block this summer.

Per LA sports radio station The Beast 980 (via ESPN):

“I like that [Stephenson] can play multiple positions — really 2, 3 and 1 — because he’s a terrific passer,” Rivers said. “I don’t know if I made the trade for him to be a starter, per se, I look at him really more to be a utility player that can come in and play literally three different positions for us. When you look at us, we needed toughness and more athleticism and we get that.”

 

But if Stephenson isn’t going to be a starter, who’s going to be the team’s starting small forward for 2015-16? […] “We find him, we work, we still have work to do,” Rivers said. “In the worst case and it’s not a bad case [Lance starts], and I still think that Lance is an upgrade at that position even if we wanted to start him. But I’m planning on doing more things this summer without saying much. We’re not done, clearly. […] I still think that Lance is an upgrade at that position even if we wanted to start him. But I’m planning on doing more things this summer without saying much. We’re not done, clearly.”

 

One of the options the Clippers are exploring, according to sources, is Paul Pierce, who could sign a mini-midlevel exception of $3.37 million for up to three years if he declines his $5.5 million player option with Washington. Players don’t normally turn down money but it’s essentially a $1 million difference this season for Pierce, 37, to return home and be reunited with Rivers, who was his coach in Boston for nine seasons, including the 2007-08 championship. […] The Clippers are also exploring trade options for Jamal Crawford, according to sources, and one possibility is trading Crawford and C.J. Wilcox, the team’s 2014 first round pick, to the Denver Nuggets for Wilson Chandler. The Clippers inquired about Chandler last season but nothing materialized.

The post Lance Stephenson to Come Off the Bench for the Clippers appeared first on SLAM.

With $5.5 million owed to him next season, it’s unlikely The Truth will walk away from the NBA, but he could switch teams.

Word around the League is that Pierce will once again consider joining his old coach Doc Rivers—who is looking for reinforcements—on the LA Clippers.

Per NBA.com:

What to do … What to do?: Washington’s main issue is complacency. The Wizards could stand pat if Pierce decides to return to D.C. next season rather than opt out of his deal, but many around the league believe Pierce will do just that and finish his career back home in Los Angeles with the Clippers. Either way, the Wizards need a long-term solution at power forward to go with their electric backcourt of (John) Wall and (Bradley) Beal and the emerging Porter, who was a terrific 3-and-D man during the playoffs and looks ready to claim the small forward spot full time.

 

Coach Randy Wittman made it clear after his team’s six-game loss to the Hawks that he wants a stretch four going forward that would allow Washington to play small ball all season. The Wizards thrived with Pierce at the four and Porter at the three in their first-round rout of the Raptors, but Wittman didn’t use that lineup during the regular season because he wanted to save Pierce’s legs for the playoffs. Fans in D.C. dream of getting Kevin Durant to return home in 2016, but the Wizards shouldn’t be so starry-eyed. They shouldn’t wait for the summer of ’16, when the new TV deal kicks in and almost every team in the league will have cap space, increasing the number of competitors for any player, including Durant. (Especially Durant.)

 

They should attack now, and think big. Washington has $20 million in potential trade bait available. Nene’s contract expires in ’16, and Martell Webster and DeJuan Blair have team options for 2016-17 — in essence, making their contracts expirings for next season as well. So why not take a run at, say, Kevin Love? The Wizards have all their upcoming picks, including their ’15 first-rounder; if they could find a third-team to act as intermediary (Hinkie!!!), a sign-and-trade extravaganza including Nene, (Martell) Webster, (Kevin) Seraphin — likely to leave, anyway — and picks going in some combination to Cleveland and/or Philly could get things rolling.

The post Report: Paul Pierce May Sign With LA Clippers in Free Agency appeared first on SLAM.

From the Washington Post:

“Truthfully, what was going through my mind is, I don’t have too much of these efforts left, if any,” Pierce said. “These rides throughout the NBA season, throughout the playoffs, are very emotional. They take a lot out of not only your body, but your mind, your spirit.”

 

“I don’t even know if I’m going to play basketball anymore,” Pierce said.

 

“It affects not only you, but the people around you,” Pierce said. “Days like this, you go home and you’re around your family, you don’t feel like talking to them or doing anything because of what the game does. It takes a bit out of you. You go home, and it’s not a good day. It affects the people around you. It’s tough. People think you just play basketball, go home and your body is sore. No. Mentally, the people around you, it affects. I know I’ll go home and won’t have any words for my wife or my mom. Probably the only thing that can through to me right now is my kids. They bring me joy.”

The post Paul Pierce Considering Retirement After Wizards’ Crushing Loss appeared first on SLAM.

Photos via Getty Images

Previously:
Week of May 1 – May 6
Week of April 24 – April 30

The post NBA Photos Of The Week appeared first on SLAM.

Pierce hit a 3-pointer with 8.3 seconds left that gave the Wizards an 81-80 lead over the Hawks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals Wednesday at Philips Arena. The potential game-winning shot came in front of the Hawks bench.

 

Pierce turned to the bench and said, “Series.” The bravado was heard by people sitting nearby.

 

Oops.

 

The Hawks pulled out an 82-81 victory when Al Horford scored on a putback with one second remaining. It’s the Hawks that now hold a 3-2 series advantage.

The post Paul Pierce Called ‘Series’ After Go-Ahead Three-Pointer in Game 5 appeared first on SLAM.

DeMarre Carroll, Atlanta’s best wing defender, elected not to be on the floor during the fateful moment, explaining that he was not “comfortable as far as physically.”

Just seeing this now…Umm…weird pic.twitter.com/3UTxg6ymDW

— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) May 10, 2015

Carroll and Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer were given a chance to expand on the curious decision Sunday.

Per the AJC:

Q: What happened last night and are you good to go tomorrow? Carroll: “I’m good. That was a tough game for us but by the same token to clarify what went on last night was me and coach discussed the situation, we discussed that was the best group at the time because they had come all the way back. Due to that, I hadn’t played for a quarter and a half and we felt that was the best group to give us a shot to get that stop.”

 

Q: Were you physically uncomfortable? What was it? Carroll: “Like I said, I talked to coach. We discussed it. That was the best group at the time due to I hadn’t played for a quarter and a half. That’s what we felt.”

 

Q: DeMarre, in the end-of-game situation, said he was physically unable to go. He said moments ago you two talked about it. What happened last night? Budenholzer: “It’s like all throughout the game there is dialog. The group that was on the court we felt gave us our best chance to get a stop. You consider everything in listening and talking that’s the group we went with. […] Considering he hadn’t played the whole fourth quarter, I think he went in for a possession and, again, there is a time out, you talk, you discuss and you have to make decisions. I think sometimes we take players out of the game who don’t want to come out and sometimes we probably put players in that don’t want to go it. Coaches have to make decisions. It happens every night, every time.”

The post DeMarre Carroll Was Not ‘Comfortable’ Playing in Crunch Time of Game 3 appeared first on SLAM.

Details, from CBS Sports:

Paul Pierce hit the game-winning shot over Dennis Schröder in the Washington Wizards’ 103-101 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday. It was from his sweet spot, the left elbow, and it was a familiar sight in that kind of situation. Schröder, however, didn’t exactly expect it to go in, saying he contested it as well as he could and Pierce just made a tough shot.

 

“It was a lucky shot and we lost the game,” Schröder said.

 

That comment was relayed to Pierce, who responded perfectly.

 

“I guess Schröder’s going to say that ’cause he’s a little young,” the 37-year-old said. “He hasn’t been able to see it over the past 17 years.

 

“He probably missed with me in 2K,” Pierce continued. “He probably used me and missed.”

 

Schröder, who is 21 years old, was a little misguided in saying that. He did indeed defend it as well as he could, but Pierce has made what feels like millions of clutch shots in that area. It wasn’t the least bit surprising when it dropped.

The post Paul Pierce on Dennis Schröder Calling His Shot Lucky: ‘He Probably Missed With Me in 2K’ appeared first on SLAM.

Broussard: “Did you call bank?”

Pierce: “I called game.”

That’s The Truth.

The post Paul Pierce on Game-Winner vs. Hawks: ‘I Called Game’ (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

The post Paul Pierce Hits Game-Winning Bank Shot to Win Game 3 vs. Hawks (VIDEO) appeared first on SLAM.

Photos via Getty Images

Previously:
Week of April 17 – April 23
Week of April 10 – April 16

The post NBA Photos Of The Week appeared first on SLAM.