The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame on Tuesday revealed its finalists for the Class of 2021, with the announcement made on ESPN’s “The Jump.”
And this year, one of the show’s own is in contention.
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce was included on the Hoophall’s list, unsurprisingly, and his on-air reaction was a great moment.
“I mean to be enshrined into — I don’t know what to do with my hands right now,” the 10-time NBA All-Star turned NBA analyst joked.
“I mean that’s the end game, end-all be-all for a basketball player… Even having my name in the rafters in Boston, I thought that was enough. But then to get into the Hall of Fame, if I was to get in there, that’s just the end of the story book. And it’s forever and I’m greatly honored just to be mentioned.
“You come into the game, you go, you work as hard as you can, and then at the end of your career you see what the results are and clearly I’ve worked hard enough to be in this position.”
Watch the full segment from “The Jump” below:
In addition to his All-Star appearances, Pierce was a four-time All-NBA selection NBA Finals MVP after Boston’s 2008 title. His 19 seasons are best remembered for his first 15 years with the Celtics.
