Paul Pierce facts for kids
Paul Anthony Pierce (born October 13, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He played for 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), mostly with the Boston Celtics. As of July 2025, he is a sports analyst for the FS1 talk show Speak.
Pierce was a top high school player, chosen as a McDonald's All-American. He then played college basketball for the Kansas Jayhawks, where he was recognized as one of the best college players. The Boston Celtics picked him 10th overall in the 1998 NBA draft. Pierce played his first 15 years with the Celtics. His famous nickname, "the Truth," was given to him by basketball legend Shaquille O'Neal in 2001.
As a captain for the Celtics, Pierce was chosen for the All-Star team 10 times. In 2007, he teamed up with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to form a "Big Three." This powerful trio led Boston to two NBA Finals and won an NBA championship in 2008. Pierce was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player for his amazing performance in 2008. In 2021, Pierce was honored by being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. He is one of only three players to score over 20,000 points for the Celtics, alongside Larry Bird and John Havlicek.
In July 2013, Pierce was traded to the Brooklyn Nets with Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry. He later played for the Washington Wizards in 2014 and then the Los Angeles Clippers in 2015, where he reunited with his former Celtics coach, Doc Rivers. After two seasons with the Clippers, he retired in 2017. On July 17, 2017, the Celtics signed Pierce to a special contract so he could officially retire as a member of the team he played for most of his career.
Pierce with the Boston Celtics in 2008
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 13, 1977 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| High school | Inglewood (Inglewood, California) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Kansas (1995–1998) |
| NBA Draft | 1998 / Round: 1 / Pick: 10th overall |
| Selected by the Boston Celtics | |
| Pro career | 1998–2017 |
| Career history | |
| 1998–2013 | Boston Celtics |
| 2013–2014 | Brooklyn Nets |
| 2014–2015 | Washington Wizards |
| 2015–2017 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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| Career NBA statistics | |
| Points | 26,397 (19.7 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 7,527 (5.6 rpg) |
| Assists | 4,708 (3.5 apg) |
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Pierce was born in Oakland, California. His family later moved to Inglewood, California. There, he went to Inglewood High School. He was not chosen for the varsity basketball team in his first two years. He thought about changing schools. But he spent extra time practicing and became the best player on his team by his junior year.
In his senior year, he averaged 27 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists per game. Pierce played in the 1995 McDonald's All-American Game. He played alongside future NBA stars like Kevin Garnett and Vince Carter. He also competed in the game's Slam Dunk Contest. Pierce grew up a fan of the Los Angeles Lakers and dreamed of playing for them. In 2012, he was honored as one of the 35 Greatest McDonald's All-Americans.
College Career at Kansas
Pierce played three years at the University of Kansas from 1995 to 1998. In his first year, he was named Big Eight Co-Freshman of the Year. During the summer of 1996, Pierce joined the USA's Under 22 team. He helped the United States win a tournament in Puerto Rico.
As a sophomore, Pierce won the first of two Big 12 Conference tournament Most Valuable Player awards. He averaged 21.7 points and led Kansas to the first tournament championship. In his junior year (1997–98), Pierce won MVP honors again in the Preseason NIT and the Big 12 Conference tournament. He was named a First Team All-American. He scored 777 points as a junior, which is the fifth-highest single-season total in Jayhawks history. He is also the fifth-leading scorer in Kansas history with 1,786 points. Pierce left Kansas after his junior season to enter the 1998 NBA draft.
Professional Basketball Career
Boston Celtics (1998–2013)
Starting Years and Becoming a Star (1998–2001)
The Boston Celtics picked Pierce 10th overall in the 1998 NBA draft. He scored 19 or more points in 10 of his first 11 games. In his first year, he averaged 16.5 points. In his second season, his scoring average went up to 19.5 points per game. During the 2000–01 season, Pierce played in all 82 games. He averaged 25.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. He led the Celtics in points per game and was fourth in the league in total points.
First All-Star Games and Playoffs (2001–2007)
In the 2001–02 season, Pierce helped the Celtics reach the playoffs for the first time in seven years. They made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. In one playoff game, Pierce scored 19 of his 28 points in the last 12 minutes. This helped the Celtics come back from a 21-point deficit to win. From 2002 to 2006, Pierce was chosen for the All-Star team every season. He led the league in total points in 2002.
Before the 2007–08 season, the Celtics added Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. These three players formed a "Big Three." The Celtics had a huge improvement, winning 66 games in the regular season. This was 42 more wins than the year before.
NBA Champion and Finals MVP (2007–2008)
In Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, Pierce got injured. He was carried off the court, looking like he was in a lot of pain. But he came back just a few minutes later. He scored 15 points in the third quarter, helping the Celtics win. He led the Celtics to their 17th championship, beating the Lakers 4–2 in the series. Pierce was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player. He averaged 22 points per game in the six-game series.
Later Years with Boston (2008–2013)
Pierce and the Celtics aimed to win another championship in the 2008–09 NBA season. Pierce played almost every game and led the team in scoring. He was named to the 2009 NBA All-Star Game. However, with Kevin Garnett injured, the Celtics lost in the second round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs.
At the 2010 NBA All-Star Game, Pierce won the Three-Point Contest. He was the first Celtic since Larry Bird to win this event. In the 2010 NBA Playoffs, Pierce made a game-winning shot against the Miami Heat. The Celtics went on to reach the NBA Finals again. They faced the Lakers in a rematch of the 2008 Finals. The Celtics led 3–2, but lost the last two games.
On November 3, 2010, Pierce scored his 20,000th career point. He became only the third player in Celtics history to reach this milestone while playing only for Boston. The Celtics made the playoffs but lost to the Miami Heat in the second round. On February 7, 2012, Pierce passed Larry Bird to become second on the Celtics' all-time scoring list. He was named to his tenth NBA All-Star team. He also played his 1,000th game with the Celtics, joining only John Havlicek and Robert Parish in this achievement for the team.
The 2012–13 season was tough for the Celtics. Their All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo was injured. Pierce recorded three triple-doubles that season (scoring double digits in points, rebounds, and assists). The Celtics made the playoffs but lost in the first round to the New York Knicks.
Brooklyn Nets (2013–2014)
On June 28, 2013, Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Jason Terry were traded from the Celtics to the Brooklyn Nets. Pierce convinced Garnett to agree to the trade. Pierce said they were focused on winning a championship in Brooklyn.
In the 2013–14 season, Pierce played in 75 games. He averaged 13.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. He scored 1,000 points for the 15th season in a row. This made him one of only six players in NBA history to do so. He also moved up to 18th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. On April 11, 2014, Pierce reached 25,000 career points. The Nets made the playoffs but lost to the Miami Heat in the second round.
Washington Wizards (2014–2015)
On July 17, 2014, Pierce signed a contract with the Washington Wizards. He continued to climb the NBA's all-time scoring list. He passed Jerry West and Reggie Miller. On January 14, 2015, Pierce passed Jason Kidd for fourth all-time in three-pointers made. He also made his 2,000th career three-pointer. Pierce finished the regular season averaging 11.9 points per game.
In the playoffs, on May 9, 2015, Pierce made a game-winning shot at the buzzer against the Atlanta Hawks. This gave the Wizards a 2–1 lead in the series. In Game 6, Pierce made another three-pointer that looked like it would tie the game. However, a review showed the clock ran out just before he released the ball. The Wizards lost the game and the series.
Los Angeles Clippers (2015–2017)
On July 10, 2015, Pierce signed with the Los Angeles Clippers. He played his first game for the Clippers on October 28. On December 16, Pierce scored six points against the Milwaukee Bucks. In that game, he reached 26,000 career points.
On September 26, 2016, Pierce announced that the 2016–17 season would be his last in the NBA. In his final game in Boston on February 5, 2017, Pierce started and played the first five minutes. He re-entered the game with 19 seconds left and made a three-pointer. On April 10, 2017, he scored 10 points in the final five minutes of a game against the Houston Rockets. This moved him to 15th on the NBA career scoring list. The Clippers made the playoffs but lost in the first round. Pierce's 19-year NBA career ended on April 30, 2017.
Retirement
On July 17, 2017, Pierce signed a special contract with the Boston Celtics. This allowed him to retire as a member of the team he played for the longest. On August 18, 2017, the Celtics announced that Pierce's jersey number 34 would be retired on February 11, 2018. His jersey was raised to the rafters of TD Garden, becoming the 23rd person in Celtics history to receive this honor. In 2021, Pierce was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
International Basketball Career
Pierce was a member of the United States national team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship. He started all nine games and averaged 19.8 points per game. He was also chosen for the 2006 USA Basketball World Championship Team, but he did not play due to a minor surgery.
Broadcasting Career
ESPN
In August 2017, Pierce joined ESPN as a studio analyst for shows like The Jump and NBA Countdown. He had previously appeared as a guest analyst. Pierce left ESPN in April 2021.
Fox Sports 1
In March 2024, Pierce joined Fox Sports 1 as a basketball analyst for the sports talk show Undisputed. After changes to Undisputed in August 2024, Pierce moved to the sports talk show Speak.
Personal Life
Paul Pierce and his ex-wife Julie have three children: two daughters, Prianna and Adrian, and a son, Prince. Paul has two half-brothers, Jamal and Steve Hosey. Steve played MLB for the San Francisco Giants. Jamal played college basketball for Wyoming.
Stabbing Incident
On September 25, 2000, Paul Pierce was involved in a serious incident where he was injured and needed surgery. His teammate, Tony Battie, and Battie's brother helped him get to a hospital quickly. Even after this serious event, Pierce was the only Celtics player to start all 82 games in the 2000–01 season. In 2003, Pierce donated $2.5 million to help expand the surgical center at Tufts-New England Medical Center that helped him recover. He said it was a way to give back to the hospital that was there for him. In August 2018, Pierce shared that he dealt with tough feelings like paranoia and stress for a year after the incident. He talked about this as part of the NBA's effort to focus on players' mental health.
Nickname "The Truth"
Pierce's nickname, "the Truth," was given to him by Shaquille O'Neal. This happened after a game on March 13, 2001, where Pierce scored 42 points against O'Neal's Los Angeles Lakers. O'Neal was so impressed that he told a reporter, "Paul Pierce is the truth."
Television Appearances
On March 19, 2024, Paul Pierce played himself in an episode of the TV series Extended Family. The episode was called "The Consequences of Being Irish."
NBA Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998–99 | Boston | 48 | 47 | 34.0 | .439 | .412 | .713 | 6.4 | 2.4 | 1.7 | 1.0 | 16.5 |
| 1999–00 | Boston | 73 | 72 | 35.4 | .442 | .343 | .798 | 5.4 | 3.0 | 2.1 | .8 | 19.5 |
| 2000–01 | Boston | 82 | 82* | 38.0 | .454 | .383 | .745 | 6.4 | 3.1 | 1.7 | .8 | 25.3 |
| 2001–02 | Boston | 82 | 82 | 40.3 | .442 | .404 | .809 | 6.9 | 3.2 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 26.1 |
| 2002–03 | Boston | 79 | 79 | 39.2 | .416 | .302 | .802 | 7.3 | 4.4 | 1.8 | .8 | 25.9 |
| 2003–04 | Boston | 80 | 80 | 38.7 | .402 | .299 | .819 | 6.5 | 5.1 | 1.6 | .7 | 23.0 |
| 2004–05 | Boston | 82 | 82* | 36.1 | .455 | .370 | .822 | 6.6 | 4.2 | 1.6 | .5 | 21.6 |
| 2005–06 | Boston | 79 | 79 | 39.0 | .471 | .354 | .772 | 6.7 | 4.7 | 1.4 | .4 | 26.8 |
| 2006–07 | Boston | 47 | 46 | 37.0 | .439 | .389 | .796 | 5.9 | 4.1 | 1.0 | .3 | 25.0 |
| 2007–08† | Boston | 80 | 80 | 35.9 | .464 | .392 | .843 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 1.3 | .5 | 19.6 |
| 2008–09 | Boston | 81 | 81 | 37.5 | .457 | .391 | .830 | 5.6 | 3.6 | 1.0 | .3 | 20.5 |
| 2009–10 | Boston | 71 | 71 | 34.0 | .472 | .414 | .852 | 4.4 | 3.1 | 1.2 | .4 | 18.3 |
| 2010–11 | Boston | 80 | 80 | 34.7 | .497 | .374 | .860 | 5.4 | 3.3 | 1.0 | .6 | 18.9 |
| 2011–12 | Boston | 61 | 61 | 34.0 | .443 | .366 | .852 | 5.2 | 4.5 | 1.1 | .4 | 19.4 |
| 2012–13 | Boston | 77 | 77 | 33.4 | .436 | .380 | .787 | 6.3 | 4.8 | 1.1 | .4 | 18.6 |
| 2013–14 | Brooklyn | 75 | 68 | 28.0 | .451 | .373 | .826 | 4.6 | 2.4 | 1.1 | .4 | 13.5 |
| 2014–15 | Washington | 73 | 73 | 26.2 | .447 | .389 | .781 | 4.0 | 2.0 | .6 | .3 | 11.9 |
| 2015–16 | L.A. Clippers | 68 | 38 | 18.1 | .363 | .310 | .818 | 2.7 | 1.0 | .5 | .3 | 6.1 |
| 2016–17 | L.A. Clippers | 25 | 7 | 11.1 | .400 | .349 | .769 | 1.9 | .4 | .2 | .2 | 3.2 |
| Career | 1,343 | 1,285 | 34.2 | .445 | .368 | .806 | 5.6 | 3.5 | 1.3 | .6 | 19.7 | |
| All-Star | 10 | 0 | 13.6 | .456 | .188 | .727 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.2 | .1 | 9.6 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Boston | 16 | 16 | 42.0 | .403 | .288 | .764 | 8.6 | 4.1 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 24.6 |
| 2003 | Boston | 10 | 10 | 44.5 | .399 | .356 | .863 | 9.0 | 6.7 | 2.1 | .8 | 27.1 |
| 2004 | Boston | 4 | 4 | 40.5 | .342 | .294 | .839 | 8.8 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 20.8 |
| 2005 | Boston | 7 | 7 | 39.6 | .505 | .259 | .868 | 7.7 | 4.6 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 22.9 |
| 2008† | Boston | 26 |
26 |
38.1 | .441 | .361 | .802 | 5.0 | 4.6 | 1.1 | .3 | 19.7 |
| 2009 | Boston | 14 | 14 | 39.7 | .430 | .333 | .842 | 5.8 | 3.1 | 1.1 | .4 | 21.0 |
| 2010 | Boston | 24* | 24* | 38.8 | .438 | .392 | .824 | 6.0 | 3.4 | 1.0 | .6 | 18.8 |
| 2011 | Boston | 9 | 9 | 38.1 | .459 | .447 | .882 | 5.0 | 2.8 | 1.3 | .4 | 20.8 |
| 2012 | Boston | 20 | 20 | 38.9 | .386 | .310 | .894 | 6.1 | 3.1 | 1.5 | .9 | 18.9 |
| 2013 | Boston | 6 | 6 | 42.5 | .368 | .268 | .897 | 5.7 | 5.3 | .8 | .5 | 19.2 |
| 2014 | Brooklyn | 12 | 12 | 30.7 | .465 | .358 | .781 | 4.5 | 2.0 | 1.2 | .3 | 13.7 |
| 2015 | Washington | 10 | 10 | 29.8 | .485 | .524 | .850 | 4.2 | .9 | .6 | .7 | 14.6 |
| 2016 | L.A. Clippers | 5 | 1 | 10.8 | .167 | .200 | .850 | 1.2 | .2 | .4 | .0 | 1.2 |
| 2017 | L.A. Clippers | 7 | 0 | 14.4 | .444 | .400 | 1.000 | 2.0 | .9 | .3 | .0 | 3.0 |
| Career | 170 | 159 | 36.6 | .423 | .355 | .830 | 5.8 | 3.4 | 1.2 | .6 | 18.7 | |
Career Highlights and Awards
NBA Achievements
- NBA champion: 2008
- NBA Finals MVP: 2008
- All-NBA Second Team: 2009
- 3-time All-NBA Third Team: 2002, 2003, 2008
- 10-time NBA All-Star: 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
- NBA All-Rookie First Team: 1999
- NBA 3-Point Contest winner: 2010
- NBA regular-season leader, total points: 2002 (2144)
- NBA regular-season leader, free throws made: 2003 (604)
- NBA 75th Anniversary Team: 2021
College Achievements
- Named First Team All-America by the Associated Press after his junior year at the University of Kansas.
- Named Big Eight Freshman of the Year in 1995–96.
- MVP of the Big 12 Conference tournament in both 1997 and 1998.
- Member of the All-Big 12 First Team in 1997–1998.
Other Honors
- Member of the US national team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship.
- Named to Kansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.
Boston Celtics Team Records
- Most points scored in a half (including Overtime): 46 (December 1, 2001, 2nd Half vs. New Jersey Nets).
- Most points scored in an overtime period: 13 (December 1, 2001, vs. New Jersey Nets)
- Most three-point field goals made, career: 1578
- Most three-point field goals attempted, career: 4273
- Most free throws made, career: 5808
- Most free throws attempted, career: 7212
- Most free throws made in one game: 20 (November 2, 2002, vs. New York Knicks).
- Most free throws attempted in one game: 24 (November 5, 2005, vs. New York Knicks).
- Most free throws made in one half: 14 (March 2, 2001, vs. Utah Jazz).
- Most free throws made in one season: 627 (2005–06, breaking his own record of 604 set in 2002–03).
- Most free throws attempted in one season: 812 (2005–06, breaking his own record of 753 set in 2002–03).
- Most steals in one game: 9 (tied with Larry Bird; December 3, 1999, vs. Miami Heat).
- Most free throws made without a miss, playoffs: 21 (Game 1, 2003 Eastern Conference First Round).
- Most points scored in one half, playoffs: 32 (Game 4, 2003 Eastern Conference First Round vs. Indiana Pacers).
- Highest scoring average through one month: 33.5 PPG (February 2006).
- Only Celtics player in franchise history to lead the NBA in total points scored in a season, scoring 2,144 points in 2001–02.
- Oldest Celtics player to score 40 points in a game: 35 years, 2 months, and 6 days old (December 19, 2012, vs Cleveland Cavaliers)
- Pierce is the Celtics' second all-time leading scorer behind John Havlicek. He also ranks second in team history in career scoring average, behind Larry Bird.
Images for kids
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Pierce with the Boston Celtics in 2008
See also
In Spanish: Paul Pierce para niños
