Paul Pierce
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 Paul Pierce, SI Photo/David Bergman
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| Position | SF/SG |
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| Nickname | The Truth |
| Height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
| Weight | 230 lb (105 kg) |
| Team | Boston Celtics |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Born | October 13, 1977 Oakland, California |
| High school | Inglewood High School |
| College | Kansas |
| Draft | 10th overall, 1998 Boston Celtics |
| Pro career | 1998 – present |
| Awards | All-NBA Third Team 2002, 2003 |
Paul Anthony Pierce (born October 13, 1977 in Oakland, California) is an American professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the NBA. He has been a starter every season since he was selected by the Celtics in the 1998 NBA Draft, and in 2002 he helped lead Boston to an appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals of the NBA Playoffs.
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[edit] High school
Pierce was the star of his Inglewood High School basketball team having started all four years. Paul also participated in the 1995 slam dunk competition along with fellow future NBA all-star Vince Carter.
[edit] College
Pierce averaged 16.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in his three seasons at the University of Kansas, and earned MVP honors in the Big 12 Conference Tournament in both 1997 and 1998. He entered the NBA Draft after his junior year with the Jayhawks, and was selected in the first round (10th pick overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics, a team that was in its own rebuilding process at the time.
[edit] NBA
After his debut in the NBA, Pierce's ability to score, rebound, and a healthy dose of late-game heroics led to his emergence as a top player in the Eastern Conference. Along with forward Antoine Walker, Pierce led the Celtics to the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals. In the historic Game 3 of that series, he led the Celtics to the biggest fourth-quarter comeback in NBA playoff history. Pierce scored 19 of his 28 point total during the fourth quarter, and the Celtics recovered from a 21 point 4th quarter deficit to defeat the New Jersey Nets [1].
Pierce has averaged 23 points per game over his 7-year NBA career and is a 5-time NBA All-Star. On February 9, 2006, for the fifth time in his career, Pierce was selected to play in the 2006 NBA All-Star Game in Houston, Texas as a reserve for the Eastern Conference.
Trade rumors involving Paul Pierce have swirled ever since Danny Ainge returned as the Executive Director of Basketball Operations in May of 2003. Ainge laid most of these rumors to rest in the 2006 offseason by signing Paul Pierce to a 3 year, (approximately) $59 million contract extension. [2]
He often has played his best games against the best individual competition, such as LeBron James, Tracy McGrady, and Kobe Bryant. For instance, Pierce scored a career high 50 points in a loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 15, 2006. After the game, James stated that he feels that he and Pierce are the top two at their position in the Eastern Conference [3]
In the 2005-2006 NBA season, Pierce has the highest points-per-shot average among the top 30 scorers in the league, indicating that he is an efficient and consistent player. On March 8th, 2006 Paul Pierce extended his franchise-record streak of 30-point games at 8. His scoring streak was anything but a one-man showboating effort. On March 7, he scored 10 points in overtime to beat the Washington Wizards, and the next night the Celtics eeked out a victory against Philadelphia on the strength of two late-game improbable shots by Pierce, one a three pointer, the other an off-balance "buzzer-beater" for the win. He scored at least 30 points for the 13th time in 14 games (between February 4 and March 12), the best such stretch in Celtics history. He has six career triple-doubles, the most recent on March 8, 2006.
Pierce is tied with Zydrunas Ilgauskas of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks (8 years) for sixth place among active players who have played their entire NBA career for one team.
[edit] Nightclub stabbing
On September 25, 2000 at approximately 1AM, Pierce arrived at the Buzz nightclub in Boston's theatre district. He began talking to a girl at the club until he was confronted by three men, one of which was the brother of the girl he had been talking to. The confrontation escalated until Pierce was struck in the head with a champagne bottle. Pierce was stabbed 11 times in the neck, chest, and back before the assualt was over. Pierce was rushed to New England Medical Center by then Celtics teammate Tony Battie and Battie's brother Derreck. Pierce underwent lung surgery and doctors claim he was within minutes of death.
[edit] International
Pierce was a member of the United States National Basketball Team for the 2002 FIBA World Championship starting all nine games and averaging 19.8 ppg. He currently has 11 caps for the senior team. Pierce was also selected for the United States National Basketball team for the 2006 FIBA World Championship, but did not compete because of minor off-season surgery.
[edit] Reputation
Pierce is known as one of the more motivated players in the league. He was once fouled hard by Amare Stoudemire, hit the floor face-first, and cracked a number of teeth. He did not miss any games as a result of this injury.
On September 25, 2000, he was stabbed in the face, neck and back while at a nightclub, but recovered quickly enough to be able to return to the NBA for a full season. The event was later brought up during the 2002 playoffs when a New Jersey fan held a controversial sign stating, "Will Someone please stab Paul Pierce?" [4]
[edit] Career highlights
[edit] NBA
- 2-time All-NBA Third Team: 2002, 2003
- 5-time NBA All-Star: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
- NBA All-Rookie First Team: 1999
- NBA regular-season leader, total points: 2002 (2144)
- NBA regular-season leader, free throws made: 2003 (604)
[edit] College
- Named First Team All-America by the Associated Press after his junior year at the University of Kansas.
- Named Big Eight Freshman of the Year in 1995-96.
- MVP of the Big 12 Conference Tournament in both 1997 and 1998.
[edit] Other
- Member of the 2002 USA Basketball World Championship Team.
- Chose KU over UCLA in a heated recruiting battle, in which former Kansas head coach Roy Williams persuaded him to continue his career in Lawrence, Kansas.
[edit] NBA records
- Most free throws made without a miss, playoffs: 21 (Game 1, 2003 Eastern Conference First Round).
[edit] Boston Celtics franchise records (13)
- Scored 30-plus points per game in a franchise record 7 consecutive games (February 24–March 8, 2006).
- Most points scored in an overtime period: 13 (December 1, 2001 vs. New Jersey Nets)* Most three-point field goals made, career: 989 (1998–present)
- Most free throws made in one game: 20 (November 2, 2002 vs. New York Knicks).
- Most free throws attempted in one game: 24 (November 5, 2005 vs. New York Knicks).
- Most free throws made in one half: 14 (March 2, 2001 vs. Utah Jazz).
- Most free throws made in one season: 604 (2002-2003).
- Most free throws attempted in one season: 753 (2002-2003).
- Most steals in one game: 9 (tied with Larry Bird; December 3, 1999 vs. Miami Heat).
- Most free throws made without a miss, playoffs: 21 (Game 1, 2003 Eastern Conference First Round).
- Most points scored in one half, playoffs: 32 (Game 4, 2003 Eastern Conference First Round).
- Highest scoring average through one month: 33.5 ppg (February 2006).
- Only Celtics player in franchise history to lead the NBA in total points scored in a season, after accumulating 2,144 points in 2001-2002.
- Playing with Celtics he acumulated 2,071 points in 2000-2001.
[edit] Trivia
- Resident of Lincoln, Massachusetts.
- Majored in Crime and Delinquency Studies at Kansas University.
- Favorite sport other than basketball is tennis.
- Half brother Jay Hosey played basketball for Wyoming and other half brother Steve Hosey played catcher for the San Francisco Giants.
- Played on college team with former Boston Celtics teammate Raef LaFrentz.
- Charitable foundation is called The Truth Fund and lends support to children from the greater Boston area and California inner cities.
- Favorite TV show is Martin.
- His nickname The Truth was coined by Shaquille O'Neal
