On the latest episode of the All The Smoke Podcast hosted by former NBA forwards Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, Paul Pierce talked about the irony of being drafted by the Boston Celtics after growing up a Los Angeles Lakers fan.

Pierce says he hated the Celtics growing up in Los Angeles, which made it all the more satiric when Boston drafted him with the 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft.

As transcribed by CBS LA:

“I have a Lakers sweater I used to wear everyday to school,” Paul Pierce said. “It was a hoodie. Who could not be a Laker fan? I grew up right down the street from the Forum, right there in Inglewood, watching Magic. I hated the Celtics. You from LA, let alone Inglewood, where the Forum is, of course you’re a Laker fan. How could you not be? So that’s what makes it real ironic when I was drafted to the Celtics.”

Pierce went from hating the Celtics to loving Boston green. He's one of the best players ever to play for the team, and he is the second leading scorer in franchise history.

In 1,102 regular season games with the Celtics, Pierce averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 44.7 percent from the field, 37.0 percent from beyond the arc and 80.6 percent from the free-throw line.

Pierce won the 2008 Finals MVP after helping the Celtics defeat the Lakers. However, Kobe Bryant and Los Angeles got their revenge on Pierce and Boston in the 2010 Finals, where the Purple and Gold won in seven games and Kobe won his second Finals MVP.