After 19 Hall of Fame caliber seasons in the NBA, Paul Pierce’s career has come to an end with the LA Clippers. We take a look back at his years in LA, as well as a look at his final playoff series.
On Sunday night in front of a hometown crowd, NBA legend Paul Pierce checked in for the LA Clippers in a decisive Game 7 against the Utah Jazz. He played 21 minutes, finishing with 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist. He made one of his 3-point attempts, and made his only attempt from the free-thow line. However, that’s not the story.
The story is that a career of longevity, success, and pure basketball beauty had come to an end. His best seasons came in Boston, where he played the first 15 years of his career. There, he would average 21.8 points per game, earn the nickname “The Truth”, and win an NBA title before he gave his final years to the Brooklyn Nets, the Washington Wizards, and our LA Clippers. The story is how Pierce battled adversity throughout his entire career, from being cut from his high school team several times to being situated in a conference with LeBron James. Oh – and we can’t forget about the time when Draymond Green tried to trash Pierce’s legacy. That’s plain funny. The story is how former teammates and opponents – Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant to name a couple – teamed up to create a tribute video for him.
And although Pierce never really found his stride with the Clippers, this does little to take away from his wildly successful NBA career. Let’s take a look at some of our favorite highlights from his time in LA.
The Dunk
Paul Pierce’s first season in LA was chock-full of vintage plays including, yes, a DUNK. AT AGE 37. In this particular game, it was The Truth that led the Clippers to a victory over the Jazz with his 20-point performance. He connected on 5 threes in total and rattled home a monster jam. Props to Ralph Lawler for the call.
If only we could have seen some vintage Pierce in our most recent playoff series…
The Elbow Shot
In our second addition to Pierce’s highlight reel, we have the coveted “elbow shot”. Perhaps the only player to ever hit it, we see it here against the Houston Rockets on April 10. Pierce executed this play so perfectly that it almost makes you wonder, “was that planned?”
No. No it was not.
Beating a Celtic
In that same contest versus the Rockets, Paul Pierce, a Celtics legend, surpassed one of his own kind.
With 26,395 career points, John Havlicek stood at 15th on the all-time scoring list. Little did he know that The Truth was on his way.
Pierce connected on a three-ball from the corner, thus recording his 26,397th career point – two more than Havlicek. Pierce would end his career in the same position.
The Shot Heard ‘Round the World
There are storybook endings, and then there’s what happened to Paul Pierce during his final game in Boston.
Pierce was treated to a video tribute, music, and several standing ovations from the friendly Celtic crowd. He kissed Lucky the Leprechaun at half-court and heard his name over the PA one last time. He was greeted to thousands upon thousands of jerseys and tees donning his number 34. And when he needed to deliver, he did in a big way.
With a victory seemingly out of reach, Pierce entered the game with less than a minute remaining. He was set up with a pass on the opposite end of the court, took a (somewhat) contested three, and knocked it down with ease, appearing to never lose a step. The crowd, elated, cheered as loud as they could for one of the greatest players in team history.
Alas, Paul Pierce’s career had come to an end with Doc Rivers by his side. At the final buzzer of Game 7 in his hometown of Los Angeles, The Truth stood tall once more.