How long must Paul Pierce wait until he becomes a basketball immortal?
The question entered our radar Tuesday when the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced the Boston Celtics legend is on its list of eligible candidates for induction as part of the Class of 2021. Next year will mark Pierce's first year of eligibility, and he undoubtedly will be keen to enter the Hall on the first ballot.
Pierce played in the NBA between 1998 and 2017, spending 15 of those 19 seasons with the Celtics. He was a 10-time NBA All-Star and helped the Celtics win the NBA Finals in 2008, while also garnering that year's NBA Finals MVP award. The 24,021 points he scored for the Celtics are second-most in team history, and his 26,397 career points are 15th-most in NBA history.
If the Hall of Fame follows its traditional timeline, expect it to name Class of 2021 finalists in March during NBA All-Star Weekend. The Hall of Fame then would be expected to announce the Class of 2021 in early April during the Final Four of the NCAA Division I tournaments.
Will "The Truth" be among the vaunted first-ballot Hall of Famers?
