Tag: Paul Pierce

Paul Pierce doesn’t recall Udonis Haslem acting tough

Paul Pierce can’t recall Udonis Haslem tell him it’s “on sight” if they meet in public.

Paul Pierce recently responded to the viral clip of Udonis Haslem saying he would fight him or Kevin Garnett in a grocery store. According to the Boston Celtics legend, Haslem never made that threat, at least not to the best of Pierce’s memory. The entire discussion is based on the rivalry between the Celtics and the Miami Heat.

Pierce’s comments came during an interview on “The Dan LeBatard Show” and were in direct response to the video clip of Haslem. Pierce then noted how he would prefer to fight in a phone booth rather than in the middle of a grocery store.

“First of all, I’m trying to remember when he told me that,” Pierce said. “I never remember hearing that. Second of all, when we played Miami and Udonis Haslem was out there, I don’t remember no hard screens, no hard fouls…It is what it is. I’d rather do it in a telephone booth, but if you need more room in the grocery store, that’s cool, too.”

The war of words between the two former NBA stars illustrates the bad blood between the Celtics and Heat due to their rivalry in the late 2000s and early 2010s. Pierce was a thorn in Miami’s side for the entirety of that spell, as was Garnett.

Given the fact that Pierce, Haslem, and Garnett are all in their 40s, it’s highly unlikely we ever see them engage in a physical dispute. Still, that’s not going to stop them talking about a hypothetical conflict.

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Paul Pierce: Lakers won’t get past first round of the playoffs

Is Paul Pierce speaking the truth about the Lakers’ playoff chances this year or just throwing shade?

The Los Angeles Lakers have been showing signs of life lately after a rocky and very uneven first half of the season. They have won six of their last seven games and 11 of their last 16, and offensively, they have been as productive as almost any other team in the NBA.

There seems to be a trickle of belief that perhaps they can make another late-season and postseason surge much like the one they had last spring.

However, former Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce feels differently. He said on the “Ticket & The Truth” podcast that he not only thinks LeBron James and crew will not make it out of the first round of the playoffs, but that this is the team’s last shot at getting to the NBA Finals.

“The only for sure I know ain’t losing the first round is Denver. Everybody else I feel like can get popped in the first round if the matchup is wrong,” Pierce said. “I’m not putting no money against Bron vs. the young boys or Steph (Stephen Curry) vs. the young dudes. … This is the last year the Lakers or Golden State have a chance to get to the Finals, this is the last year. After this, their run is over.”

It’s understandable why someone may feel this way. The Lakers haven’t bothered to play hard against many inferior teams this season and have often lost to them in blowout fashion. They have therefore had lots of trouble sustaining any real positive momentum.

However, if they continue their current spurt unabated, another deep run in the playoffs may not be out of the question. Playoff seeding and matchups could go a long way in determining how far L.A could realistically go this spring.

Every Boston Celtics All-Star for each season the game was played

Every single Boston Celtics All-Star in franchise history.

The 2024 NBA All-Star Game is set to kick off in Indianapolis, Indiana. A pair of Boston Celtics will be part of the action for the third year in a row as Jayson Tatum plays as a starter and Jaylen Brown a reserve for the Eastern Conference All-Stars.

Tatum and Brown join a long list of Celtics stars who have participated in the event, now entering its 73rd year of existence, which actually got its start in the old Boston Garden. Initially created to improve the image of professional basketball after a point-shaving scandal in NCAA ball besmirched the sport in the eyes of the public, the event has taken on a life of its own as one of the league’s most anticipated events.

Let’s take a look at all the Celtics who have taken part.

All the Boston Celtics’ All-Star Week contest wins in NBA history

The Celtics are among the league’s leading teams when it comes to the Skills Challenge, Dunk Contest, and 3-point shootout.

In the spirit of the 2024 NBA All-Star Week festivities currently underway in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, we lean on an account by our sister site HoopsHype of which team’s players have won the most All-Star Week contests over the years.

The Dunk Contest, Skills Challenge, and 3-Point Contest may not be the focal point of the annual gathering of NBA stars and rising prospects held by the NBA each winter. But they are an integral part of All-Star Week festivities just the same, and over the course of the league’s history of having such competitions, the Celtics rank quite high in winning them.

Let’s take a look at those won by Boston Celtics over the years.

The Boston Celtics have a new concern in the Eastern Conference

The Boston Celtics may have a new threat in the Eastern Conference in the form of the New York Knicks.

The Boston Celtics are the clear-cut favorites to win the Eastern Conference this season. Brad Stevens’ summer moves to acquire Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday have ensured the Celtics are seen as legitimate championship contenders. However, the New York Knicks are rapidly emerging as a threat in the East, especially after an active January, where they acquired OG Anunoby, Alec Burks, and Bojan Bogdanovic.

Suddenly, there’s another contender in the East. The Knicks are built in Tom Thibodeau’s image. They’re built around stern, hard-nosed defenders with a sprinkling of scoring talent across every position. The Celtics will likely want to avoid a potential seven-game series against the Knicks, especially if it leads to multiple games in Madison Square Garden.

During a recent episode of “Ticket and the Truth,” Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce discussed the sudden rise of the Knicks and the fall of the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. The former Celtics champions also touched on whether New York could potentially upset the Celtics to win the East this season.

You can watch the full episode by clicking on the link above.

Listen to the “Green With Envy” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3DoLhYK

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Oj4dhD

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3K8MbvY

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Celtics legend Kevin Garnett on the three teams he thinks can win the 2024 NBA title

Joined by former Boston teammates Paul Pierce and Tony Allen, the trio make their picks.

Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett knows a few things about what it takes to win a title, and took his specialized knowledge of that dynamic to the league of today to put together a list of three teams he believes have what it takes to win it all in 2024.

Of course his former team is among the trio, but which are the other clubs that have a shot at winning a title in the NBA’s 2024 Playoffs? In what he dubs his “Garnett’s Bold NBA Playoffs Predictions: Top 3 Teams to Watch” segment, The Big Ticket makes some big predictions about who might be hanging banners this coming offseason.

Joined by fellow Celtics royalty Paul Pierce and Tony Allen, the B-O-S OGs get you up to speed with their picks for the 2024 title.

Check it out above!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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On this day: Russell gets 14 points, 23 boards, 7 assists vs. Lakers; Bird logs 22 points, 18 rebounds, 7 assists vs. LA

This was not a great day to be a Laker fan in Celtics history.

On this day in Boston Celtics history, the Celtics beat their historic rivals in a squeaker on the road, the Celtics defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 92-90 at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, L.A.’s home arena in those years.

The win was secured by Hall of Fame Boston big man Bill Russell, who put up an astounding 14 points, 23 rebounds, and 7 assists he managed while playing for all 48 minutes of the game. Legendary Celtics win John Havlicek added 21 points, forward Sam Jones chipped in 14 points and 6 rebounds, and legendary Celtic Tommy Heinsohn another 13 points and 6 boards.

The Lakers were led by Elgin Baylor’s 33 points, 17 rebounds, and 5 assists.

On this day: Bird triple doubles vs. Lakers; Pierce for 35 vs. Clippers; IT ties 20-point game record

On this day in Celtics history, Larry Bird triple-doubled vs. the Lakers, Paul Pierce scored 35 points on the Clippers, and Isaiah Thomas tied John Havlicek for the most regular-season 20-point games.

On this day in Boston Celtics history in 1991, Hall of Fame Boston Celtics small forward Larry Bird scored a triple-double against the Celtics’ longtime rival Los Angeles Lakers on the road at the Los Angeles Forum in Inglewood, California as Boston won 98-85.

The Hick from French Lick (as Bird is called affectionately as a nickname) put on a show, scoring 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in 40 minutes of game time. It wasn’t Bird’s most efficient night from the floor, with the Celtics great hitting just 4-of-16 of his field goal attempts and only a single make out of a trio of attempts from beyond the arc. But the Indiana native found other ways to help his team win.

Teammate Robert Parish led the team in scoring with 29 points and 10 boards, and forward Reggie Lewis chipped in 26 points as well.

Paul Pierce, Antoine Walker on their time playing for the Boston Celtics

Cybertoine and the Truth sat down to talk Celtics history from a firsthand point of view.

It was the best of times, and the worst of times when Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce played together for the Boston Celtics. On one hand, they were a breath of fresh air when the two started suiting up for the Celtics after a long, dark night since the storied ball club’s last era of contention.

But unlike the “Original Big Three” of Robert Parish, Larry Bird, and Kevin McHale, this new and exciting duo was not quite enough to contend for titles in their own right. Still, there were plenty of good games and good memories to be had of their time together in Boston.

And to recall those times together, Cybertoine and the Truth sat down to talk Celtics history from a firsthand point of view on a recent episode of the team-produced “View from the Rafters” podcast.

Check it out above!

Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ

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Kevin Garnett believes the NBA has lost some of it’s competitive edge

Kevin Garnett isn’t impressed with the lack of competitiveness in the modern NBA.

The NBA was a different ecosystem when Kevin Garnett was patrolling the court. Players took team rivalries to heart. Friendships could be made, lost, or receive irreparable damage depending on what team you played for and where you were in the standings. Nowadays, things aren’t so clear-cut. Players are friends. They work out with each other during the off-season.

In a recent episode of the “KG Certified” podcast, Boston Celtics legends Garnett and Paul Pierce discuss the differences between modern-day NBA players and players from previous eras, specifically in how they approach the concept of being competitive and upholding rivalries.

Garnett, of course, was one of the most fierce competitors the NBA has ever seen. So, it makes sense that he wants to see more players operating with an edge and grit to their demeanor.

You can watch the full episode of the podcast by clicking on the embedded video above.

Listen to the “Green With Envy” podcast on:

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3DoLhYK

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Oj4dhD

YouTube: https://bit.ly/3K8MbvY

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