Minor League Baseball Team to Host Manti Te'o Girlfriend Bobblehead Night Along With Other Imaginary Activities
John Farrell Plans to Ease Andrew Bailey Back Into Full Workload After Closer Called Up From Pawtucket (Video)
Red Sox-White Sox Live: Two-Run Double by Will Middlebrooks Cuts Chicago Lead to 6-4 in Seventh
Red Sox Have Great Chance to Build on Hot Streak, Prove Good Play Will Be Norm for Team This Season (Video)
LeBron James Capable of Beating Pacers by Himself If Indiana Dares Him to (Podcast)
Torey Krug's Confidence Playing Key Role As Rookie Gives Bruins Jolt in Playoff Debut
The NBA trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m., and so far nearly every member of the Celtics has been rumored in some sort of trade talks.
That list included Paul Pierce, who was reportedly mentioned in a deal that would send Pierce to Brooklyn in exchange for Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks and a first-round pick.
Pierce, now 35 years old, has spent his entire 14-year NBA career in Boston. He’s the longest-tenured Celtic on the roster by far — Rajon Rondo, now in his seventh season in green, ranks second — and is a lock to have his No. 34 hanging in the rafters of TD Garden someday.
But what if Pierce is moved at the deadline? Many Celtics fans don’t even remember the last time the team hit the floor without him, and The Truth has provided some of the most iconic performances of post-Larry Bird era.
Strangely enough, one of those performances came against the very team that’s reportedly pursuing him. In 2002, Pierce, then teamed with Antoine Walker, led the Celtics to the Eastern Conference Finals, where they faced the New Jersey Nets. The Nets won the series in six games, but Pierce left his mark in Game 3, scoring 19 points in the fourth quarter to bring Boston back from a 21-point deficit in one of the largest comebacks in NBA playoff history.
Pierce finally broke through in his next Conference Finals appearance six years later, where he scored 41 points in Game 7 to beat LeBron James‘ Cleveland Cavaliers. It was the first of several battles between Pierce and LeBron, who met again in the 2010, 2011 and 2012 playoffs, with each winning a pair of series.
The captain was perhaps never finer than during his one successful championship run, when the Celtics topped the Lakers in six games in the 2008 NBA Finals to win their first title since 1986. Pierce needed to be carted off the court in a wheelchair in Game 1, but returned to score 24 points in a Boston win and was eventually named the series’ Most Valuable Player.
Now, Danny Ainge says the Celtics are “unlikely” to make any sort of franchise-shaking deal before Thursday’s deadline. But if they do decide to, and Wednesday night’s game against the Lakers is Pierce’s last in a Boston uniform, what moment will you remember most about his career? Voice your opinion in the poll below.
Shane Victorino Exits Game in Sixth Inning With Left Hamstring Tightness
Dustin Pedroia's Ninth-Inning Home Run Against Twins Earns Ketel One Honorable Moment
Timely Hitting Hurts Red Sox Again With Chicago Stringing Together Two-Out Trouble (Video)
Jose Iglesias Taking Grounders at Third Base, Second Base at Pawtucket to Provide Red Sox Some Roster Flexibility
Yan Gomes Caps Indians' Wild Win Over Mariners With Walk-Off Homer in 10th Inning
Jose Mourinho to Leave Real Madrid by 'Mutual Consent' After 2012-13 Season
Seahawks Organization Could Be Fined by NFL as Result of Multiple Players Testing Positive for PEDs
Report: Rob Gronkowski's Arm Surgery Successful, Meaning Tight End Could Be Ready for Training Camp
Tim Duncan Would Have Looked Surprisingly at Home in Celtics Jersey Without Draft Lottery (Photo)
Patriots Sign Yet Another Rutgers Player, Add Former Notre Dame Kicker to Compete With Stephen Gostkowski
Stephen Drew Returns to Lineup As Boston Opens Sox Series in Chicago
Aroldis Chapman Blew Save Because He Ate 18 Cuban Pastries Before Game, Says Broadcaster
Barclays Center Pumps 'Signature Scent' Into Arena for Branding Purposes
Seahawks Quarterback Josh Portis Arrested on Suspicion of DUI
Report: Gareth Bale Agrees to New Contract With Tottenham, Gets Hefty Raise After MVP Season
Grizzlies Coach Lionel Hollins Forgets Jerryd Bayless' Name During Postgame Interview (Video)
Alabama Auctions Off Broken 2012 BCS Championship Trophy for $105K (Photo)
Dennis Seidenberg, Wade Redden Return to Bruins Practice, Game 3 Status Still Unknown
Report: NFL Planning to Move Draft, Begin Free Agency Before Combine in 2014
Tom Brady Says He's 'Never Had More Confidence' Throwing Than He Has This Offseason Under New Coach Tom House
Shane Battier's 3-Pointer to Give Grizzlies First Playoff Win in 2011 Fans' Choice for Top Moment in Franchise History (Video)
Report: Brandon Spikes Not at Voluntary OTAs, Will Report for Minicamp in June
Manny Ramirez 'Moonwalks' Out of Batter's Box to Delight of Taiwanese Media (Video)
Henrik Lundqvist Admits to Having Sore Left Shoulder, Says 'Everybody Is Sore' in Playoffs
Who Will Be the Amica Pitcher of the Week?
Buck Showalter, Joe Maddon Both Argue Call as Replay Awards Home Run to Matt Joyce (Video)
Ross Turnbull's Toddler Son, Josh Turnbull, Scores Cutest Goal of Chelsea's 2012-13 Season (Video)
Keenan Allen Wears Raiders Hat in Vine, Draws Vitriol From Chargers Fans on Twitter
Joe Flacco Won't Use 'R-Word' Anymore, Signs Pledge to Refrain From Using Derogatory Term (Photo)
Robert Kraft Does Best Bill Belichick Impersonation, Won't Discuss 'Hypothetical' of Buying Boston Globe
© 2013 New England Sports Network. All Rights Reserved. All photos © 2013 Associated Press and NBA photos © 2013 Getty Images unless indicated. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
All sports statistics © 2013 STATS LLC unless indicated. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC is strictly prohibited.
Powered by WordPress.com VIP