Paul Pierce is a polarizing figure among NBA fans. As much as the Boston Celtics faithful love the guy, many others have been irked by his questionable basketball takes in the past. However, it may be a while before Pierce stirs up the pot again. The former NBA champion recently suffered a nasty finger injury, which resulted in him being hospitalized for surgery.
While the cause of his ordeal is unknown, the injury itself isn't for the faint of heart. Pierce took snapshots of his fingers, and the images show plenty of blood and a broken phalange bone that's bent to the side (per TMZ). Despite how bad it initially looked, Pierce made sure to update everyone by saying that he was alright shortly after his initial photos caused folks to worry.
Via Paul Pierce:
āIām good surgery went well looks worse then felt I appreciate the concern and love and to my haters I love yall too.ā
Paul Pierce's eye-raising takes
Going back to the Hall of Famer's said takes, there's too many to mention, but there are still some that remain fresh in the minds of NBA followers. One would be Pierce's claim that the Zion Williamson-led Duke team in 2018 could defeat the 2018 Cleveland Cavaliers. For more context, that was when LeBron James just departed from Cleveland to join the Los Angeles Lakers. The Cavs performed horribly that year, but to say a college team could beat an NBA squad is something that'll definitely ruffle feathers. Additionally, that Duke team lost in the Elite Eight to Michigan State.
Speaking of LeBron James, Pierce's battles with the Kid from Akron date back to James' earlier years with the Cavs. The animosity could still be there, since Pierce left James out of his top-five all-time list years ago. This drew the ire of many LeBron fans, who criticized Pierce for his bold take.
Other fan-riling opinions of his include claims of being a better wing shooter than Klay Thompson and having a better career than Dwayne Wade.
Love him or hate him, Pierce is called āThe Truthā for a reason
Whatever one thinks of Pierce, there's no denying what he accomplished throughout his playing career. The Truth is known for leading the Celtics to that 2008 championship alongside Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. He won the Finals MVP after Boston emerged victorious over the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Additionally, Pierce amassed a total of 10 All-Star appearances, all of which occurred while he donned the green and white. His number 34 was retired by the Celtics, and Pierce was eventually included in the NBA's 75th Anniversary Team. Pierce's highest-scoring season was back in 2005-06, when he averaged 26.8 points per game.
Yes, his career as a sports analyst may have put a taint on how fans view him, but one could argue that Paul Pierce's overwhelming confidence was a big factor in why his career panned out fruitfully. All those tough shots and clutch moments ā a basketball player has to have full self-belief when making those plays.
And besides, no matter how many critics he has, Pierce will always be a hometown hero in the city of Boston. For any Celtic fan who watched in the 2000s, the memory of Pierce sinking his signature step-back jumper will always be iconic.
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