Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce (born October 13 1977 in Oakland, California, USA) is a 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 first round (10th pick overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft. He plays both guard and forward.

Related Topics:
October 13 - 1977 - Oakland, California - Basketball - Boston Celtics - NBA - 1998 NBA Draft

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Prior to being drafted, 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 himself in the NBA Draft after his junior year.

Related Topics:
University of Kansas - Big 12 Conference - NBA Draft

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On September 25, 2000, he was stabbed in the face, neck and back while at a nightclub. He would have lost his life if he was bought to the hospital later than he had been bought, but with his resolve and the power of prayer - Paul Pierce recovered and went on to not miss a single game of the upcoming season.

Related Topics:
September 25 - 2000

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Paul Pierce has proven to be one of the more motivated players in the league, with the heart and passion not found in others like Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter (who both went so far as to say to the media that they never tried/played hard on their previous teams). He was elbowed hard in the mouth by Amare Stoudemire and lost a number of teeth, but that didn't affect him at all. Only one player has taken more beatings then Pierce in the NBA and that's Allen Iverson, another underrated star.

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Often cited as one of the league's most underrated players, Pierce led the Celtics to the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals. In the historic game three, he led the Celtics to the biggest comeback in NBA playoff history, beating the New Jersey Nets after trailing by 25 points at the end of the third quarter. Pierce has averaged 23 points per contest over his 7-year NBA career and is a 4-time All-Star.

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Paul Pierce recevies a lot of negative press, when few people realize that he plays and works harder than anyone on the Celtics.

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In the latest 2004-05 season, Pierce was one of the league's most efficient scorers - if he had focused on scoring and taking as many shots as other stars like Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady, he would have easily led the league in scoring.

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Paul Pierce is undoubtedly one of the league's toughest players. While he may have lost some of his explosiveness that made him virtually unstoppable as late as 2002, he is still one of the most difficult players to guard in NBA history - a very unique scorer, as well as the Celtics' best rebounder.

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Most Celtics brass are in agreement - if he wanted to, he'd easily put up a triple double night in and night out. However, Paul Pierce has come to be known for winning in Boston - even if he doesn't win a championship, he'll go down as the man who carried Boston to the NBA playoffs year in and year out, on his back. Paul Pierce is the epitome of Celtic pride, mystique, and heart, the very essense that won them 16 championships.

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On September 8, 2005, he was reportedly traded to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Nene and Andre Miller, but this seems to be more of a solid rumor than anything. Or part of a bigger deal, that got leaked.

Related Topics:
September 8 - 2005 - Denver Nuggets

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