No matter what team he suits up for next season — and how hard of a sight it may be for Celtics fans — Paul Pierce will always bleed green, and that’s The Truth.
After 15 iconic seasons with the team that drafted him, Pierce is moving to Brooklyn next season after Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge pulled the plug on the remaining pieces of Boston’s Big Three on Thursday night, trading No. 34 with Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry to the Nets in exchange for players and future first-round draft picks.
But regardless of where Pierce goes or how weird it may be to suddenly refer to him as a former Celtics captain, nothing can take away the memories that The Truth provided Bostonians for those 15 legendary years that he donned the green and white. From Antoine Walker and Ron Mercer to Rajon Rondo and Jeff Green, from Rick Pitino to Doc Rivers, from painful losing seasons and heartbreaking playoff exits to that long-awaited 2008 championship, Pierce was the anchor, the one there through it all, breaking scoring records and burying buzzer-beaters along the way.
One day, his legendary career will undoubtedly be recognized in the Garden rafters as well as the Naismith Hall of Fame in Springfield. For now, though, as we close this memorable chapter of Celtics basketball and prepare for the next, it’s never been more appropriate to sit back and remember the moments that made Pierce one of the greatest Celtics who ever lived.
Check out the Top 10 moments of Paul Pierce’s Celtics career >>
Photo via Facebook/DARKSIDE Tattoo + Piercing
