Paul Pierce

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Paul Pierce's journey began in Oakland before his family moved to Inglewood, where he was cut from the varsity team during his freshman and sophomore years. After rejoining and improving following a tournament win in Chino, California, he averaged 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists as a senior. He participated in the 1995 McDonald's All-American Game alongside future stars like Kevin Garnett and Vince Carter, even competing in the Slam Dunk Contest which Carter won. At the University of Kansas between 1995 and 1998, Pierce became the fifth-leading scorer in school history with 1,786 points. He earned consensus first-team All-America honors as a junior, scoring 777 points that season—the fifth-most single-season total in Jayhawks history. His performance included winning MVP awards for both the Preseason NIT and the Big 12 Conference tournament. In 2012, he was honored as one of the 35 Greatest McDonald's All-Americans.

In Their Own Story

The defining moment of Paul Pierce's career occurred on June 5, 2008, during Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers. In the third quarter, Pierce suffered a severe injury that left him appearing to be in serious pain as he was carried off the court. Defying expectations, he returned minutes later and sparked the Celtics with 15 points in that same quarter, helping secure a 98–88 victory. This resilience set the tone for the series, where Pierce averaged 22 points per game over six games to lead Boston to their 17th championship. His performance earned him the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player award. The path to this title was grueling; earlier in the playoffs, he scored 41 points in Game 7 against the Cleveland Cavaliers to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. He also led a massive comeback in Game 3 of the 2001–02 Eastern Conference Finals, scoring 19 of his 28 points in the final 12 minutes to overcome a 21-point deficit.

Reader's Guide

The Boston Celtics Era (1998–2013)

Paul Pierce's 15-year tenure with the Celtics began after he was drafted 10th overall in 1998. In his rookie season, he averaged 16.5 points and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. By the 2000–01 season, he appeared in all 82 games, averaging 25.3 points and earning NBA Player of the Month honors for March. From 2002 to 2006, Pierce made the All-Star team every year, leading the league in total points (2,144) in 2002. The turning point came in the 2007 offseason when the Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. This 'Big Three' propelled Boston to a 66-win season, a 42-game improvement that stands as the largest single-season turnaround in NBA history. The team reached two NBA Finals under this trio: winning in 2008 and losing in 2010 against the Lakers. In the 2010 playoffs, Pierce hit a buzzer-beating jumper to defeat Miami 100–98 and won the Three-Point Contest at the All-Star Game. On November 3, 2010, he scored his 20,000th career point on a free throw, becoming the third player in Celtics history to reach that milestone solely with Boston. He passed Larry Bird for second place on the franchise's all-time scoring list on February 7, 2012.

Did You Know?

• Shaquille O'Neal gave Pierce the nickname 'the Truth' in 2001.
• Pierce was cut from Inglewood High School's varsity team during both his freshman and sophomore years.
• He scored 41 points in Game 7 against the Cavaliers, the second-most Game 7 points in Celtics franchise history.
• In 2010, Pierce became the first Celtic since Larry Bird to win the Three-Point Contest at the All-Star Game.
• Pierce was drafted by a team he 'despised' growing up, as he had dreamed of playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.