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NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 26: Paul Pierce attends the 2017 NBA Awards at Basketball City – Pier 36 – South Street on June 26, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
Imago
NEW YORK, NY – JUNE 26: Paul Pierce attends the 2017 NBA Awards at Basketball City – Pier 36 – South Street on June 26, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Taylor Hill/FilmMagic)
The dream of any basketball player would be to make it to the NBA. However, what could be better than playing in the biggest league in basketball? Well, that comes after everything is said and done. Notably, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Ben Wallace, and Chris Webber were presented as Hall of Famers.
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Only a few get the honor of being in the Hall of Fame. But, those who do can be considered as exceptional players for the game. This year, another 16 giants of basketball etched their names in history forever.
In his enshrinement speech, Pierce revealed his source of added motivation. He spoke about what added fuel to his fire. Unsurprisingly, in Pierce fashion, he thanked all the nine teams that did not pick him in the draft.
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Paul Pierce thanks everyone who passed on him
Paul Pierce entered the draft as a top player. Hence, it was surprising to see him go as a 10th overall. While things worked about in the best way for him, he wanted to prove a point to the nine teams that passed on him. Pierce said: “Coming out of college I was first-team All-American, projected no.2 pick. And so… I would like to thank the Clippers, Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings, Philadelphia 76ers, and Milwaukee Bucks. 9 teams that passed on me.”
Coming out of college, ‘The Truth’ averaged 20.4 points and 6.7 rebounds. Likewise, he was projected to be the number 2 pick in the draft. But, things did not go as expected and he ended up as the 10th overall pick. While it didn’t seem a big deal at first, what transpired later made it a completely different story.
"Thank you for passing on me and adding fuel to my fire."
Paul Pierce called out the 9 teams that passed on drafting him in his @Hoophall enshrinement speech. #NBAHOF pic.twitter.com/3OMpUDDkan
— NBA TV (@NBATV) September 12, 2021
Pierce had a true Hall of Fame worthy run in the NBA. He added a championship to Boston after 22 years and also won the Finals MVP. Pierce solidified himself as a true legend in Boston and left the city as the second-highest scorer in franchise history, with 24,021 points.
With a motive to prove himself and the fire within, he gave it his all to basketball. Even after retirement, he remains close to basketball as an analyst. He has been a part of many shows on ESPN and always has his famous takes.
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