Paul Pierce’s road to NBA superstardom began in earnest on the Inglewood, Calif., High School hardwood.
The Boston Celtics legend returned to his old haunt to discuss the impact his high school coach, Patrick Roy, had on his basketball career and life. Pierce, alongside Roy, reflected on his journey from Los Angeles to Boston and beyond, in a touching video the Players’ Tribune published Monday.
“This court right here that’s the first time I ever heard somebody say ‘you can play in the NBA,'” Pierce said.
“And he looked at me like I was crazy, and I was like ‘you’re a pro pick’ because he always believed in the different things I told him … He said never in his wildest dreams did he think about being an NBA player,” Roy continued.
The video proves the power inspiration and sustained support can have on an athlete’s career, and reminds us some of their most important moments happen far away from the bright lights of gameday.
