Paul Pierce is no stranger to being counted out and dismissed. When the Boston Celtics drafted Pierce in 1998 at number 10, Pierce etched the nine teams who passed on him into his mind. Today, as Pierce accepted his induction into the Hall of Fame, the now-Celtics legend put those teams on blast, thanking them for “fueling his fire”.
During his Hall of Fame speech, Pierce had this to say: (via NBA TV)
“Coming into the draft I was a first team All-American, projected number two pick. So I'd like to thank the Clippers, the Vancouver Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers and Milwaukee Bucks, the nine teams that passed on me… I appreciate that. Thank you for passing on me and adding fuel to my fire.”
"Thank you for passing on me and adding fuel to my fire."
Paul Pierce called out the 9 teams that passed on drafting him in his @Hoophall enshrinement speech. #NBAHOF pic.twitter.com/3OMpUDDkan
— NBA TV (@NBATV) September 12, 2021
Fans of some of these teams surely don't regret not picking Pierce away from the Celtics. The Mavs are more than happy with Dirk Nowitzki falling to them. Same goes for the Raptors with Vince Carter, no matter how bad their relationship became. For teams like the Clippers or the Warriors, though, they likely would want a do-over to get Pierce. It's hard to imagine anyone picking Olowokandi over “The Truth” with the benefit of hindsight helping them.
As for Pierce, he would go on to have a very successful career with the Celtics. He averaged 21.9 points in his fifteen seasons with the Cs, along with 6.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists. Pierce would go on to ten All-Star appearances with the Celtics, and most importantly, a championship over their rival, the Los Angeles Lakers in 2008. Paul Pierce would spend the final years of his career on various teams before retiring to Boston on a 1-day contract.
Boston fans will have to give their thanks to the nine teams that passed on Pierce, because if not for them, The Garden wouldn't have known what “The Truth” was.
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