On the day of Boston Celtics legendary small forward Paul Pierce's jersey retirement ceremony, many fans know of the close friendship between The Truth and former Celtics power forward Kevin Garnett. However, according to an extremely well-written story published on Sunday by ESPN senior writer Jackie MacMullan, a whole new light is shed on the two stars' bromance together over the years.

“I've said it a hundred times,” Pierce said. “Kevin Garnett and I were meant to be together. It's just too bad it took us so long to make it happen.”

The duo met just before their senior year in high school in the mid 90's, when Garnett was brought on loan for the weekend to join Pierce's Los Angeles AAU basketball team. Although it took until 2007 to finally get the two together with the Celtics, Pierce says it was Garnett that gave him that extra motivation to finally get over the top.

“When you are losing all the time you start saying, ‘What's my motivation? To come back and lose again?' It felt like a waste,” Pierce said. “But then Kevin came and gave me a kick in the butt. He changed my career, my life.”

Pierce's iconic No. 34 jersey is set to be retired to the rafters of TD Garden during today's game between the Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“KG helped define my career,” Pierce said. “If he doesn't come, we don't win a championship, and I never get to the level I always wanted to be.”

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It was also revealed by MacMullan that the close friendship developed over the years between Pierce and Garnett has now trickled down to their families, as the two talk almost every single day.

“They are neighbors now,” MacMullan said in her article. “Garnett is renting in Pierce's Calabasas neighborhood while his Malibu home undergoes renovations. Their families have expanded — Pierce has a daughter, Jazzy, and a son, Prince, who goes to school each day with Garnett's youngest daughter, Cocoa.”

As MacMullan said in her story, Pierce winning the 2008 NBA Finals over the Los Angeles Lakers alongside his best friend will forever be at the top of the star forward's list of achievements.