Ranking the top 50 players in NBA history…
50. Paul Pierce
“The Truth” has his place in Celtics history cemented, winning a championship in 2008 and snagging Finals MVP after averaging 21.8 points per game in the series win over Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Pierce’s legacy is about more than just one shining moment, though. His overall body of work is impressive: 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game over 19 seasons. He averaged 20-plus points in a season on eight different occasions.
Pierce ended up making 10 All-Star teams and stacked four All-NBA selections, finishing his career with 26,397 points.
His breakout was the 2001-02 season (26.1 points per game), in which Pierce announced his talent to the world and earned his nickname from Shaquille O’Neal.
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Pierce’s mid-range game and toughness can never be questioned. He was also an underrated ball-handler and initiator. He formed the first “Big 3” of the modern era when he welcome Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to town, and the rest is history.
Pierce’s career is a story of perseverance. His teams didn’t win early on (with the exception of a couple of years with Antoine Walker at the turn of the millenium), but Pierce remained loyal to the Celtics through it all, and now his No. 34 jersey hangs in the rafters at TD Garden.
The Truth is one of the greatest small forwards in the history of the NBA, and he did it playing for arguably the most storied franchise in the sport. What a career.
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