Former Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce learned a tough lesson this week. On May 7, he made a wild prediction on live TV, and when it came time to back it up, he didn’t hold back. The next day, he walked 20 miles to the FS1 studio, proving he wasn’t joking. It wasn’t just a walk; it was him showing the world he could follow through, no matter how crazy the challenge. It was one of those moments where you can’t help but respect the man for his word, and that’s why the former 3-time NFL All-Pro legend is applauding him.

On Thursday, NFL veteran Shawne Merriman gave a hilarious shoutout to former NBA star Paul Pierce. He reposted a clip on X showing that Pierce logged 33,465 steps on May 8, 2025. Yep, the man walked 20 miles to the FS1 studio after his Celtics prediction totally flopped.

The 47-year-old pulled it off in 8 hours, all because of a prediction gone wrong. Merriman was clearly impressed with him, as he tagged him and wrote, “Mad respect lol.” Не even dropped a screenshot of Grok, the AI model of X, which stated, “However, skepticism is understandable. Such a high step count is unusual, and fitness trackers can sometimes miscount. While the evidence supports authenticity, the extraordinary nature of the feat and potential for tracker errors leave room for doubt. Both perspectives are valid given the context.” Hilarious! For Pierce, it was possible.

Paul Pierce later shared a Google Maps screenshot, showing the route and time it would’ve taken—8 hours and 2 minutes. Still, Pierce posted his map route with a couple of barf emojis, showing just how brutal the trek was.

Safe to say, Buffalo Bills’ star Merriman was right—this kind of commitment earns serious respect. But yeah, Pierce already made it clear that he is never doing it again. Perhaps, next time, he’ll also think twice before making bold calls.

Despite his walk of shame, Paul Pierce earned respect!

Paul Pierce made a promise on live TV during an appearance on FS1 on Wednesday. He said, “If the Celtics lose Game 2 at home (against the Knicks), I promise you, I’m walking here tomorrow. I’m walking here. I’m walking here 15 miles. And I’m walking here. In my robe. No shoes on. Barefeet. If the Celtics lose [Wednesday].” And when the Celtics blew Game 2, he owned it.

The man got up at dawn, threw on his robe, laced up some shoes (yeah, not barefoot), and left his home around 5 a.m. He walked twenty miles to FS1. He could’ve backed out, laughed it off, but he didn’t. Paul Pierce walked for over eight hours, sweating, hurting, still pushing. Fans followed him through every step on Instagram. By the time he reached the studio, around 1 p.m., he looked drained but proud. “I ain’t never putting a bet on something like this ever again. I feel like I accomplished something crazy at the end of the day,” he said.

Well, honestly, most people would’ve folded. But not Paul Pierce. He kept walking for the team he’s always bled green for, hoping to spark something in that locker room. That’s loyalty for sure. While speaking about it, the NBA legend said, “Not everyone has the mental capacity to do what I did. I can’t believe this, Celtics got me out here like this.” Poor Pierce! But this walk of shame definitely helped him get worldwide respect. What do you think?