Kevin Garnett hosted a livestream for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night. It was a blowout win for the Denver Nuggets, who got a series lead off the 109-94 rout. However, both the result and anything that Durant may have said in the live stream were completely forgotten thanks to Durant’s special guest on the live stream.
Garnett’s Boston Celtics teammate Paul Pierce was Garnett’s guest for the stream. The two played together for six seasons after Garnett joined the Celtics in 2007. Pierce was drafted by the Celtics in 1998. The pair won a championship together in 2008. It was Pierce’s presence that caused the live stream to go viral.
Two moments stand out to explain Pierce’s impact on the live stream. First, there was the moment when Pierce pulled out a large cigar and asked for a lighter. Someone throws a lighter at Pierce, which hits him in the chest. This immediately riled up Pierce, who began to yell at the person who threw him the lighter. “Hey my boy, don’t make me smack you.” Garnett turns to Pierce, asking him to calm down as Pierce continues to stare daggers off-camera.
In another moment, it turns out that Pierce doesn’t even realize that he’s on a live stream. After arguing about whether Pierce can be “poppin’”. Garnett tries to shut it down, “We’re not poppin’, we’re workin’.” Pierce’s response is priceless, “Show me the live stream!” he yells, “show me the likes and comments!” he continues, swiping at an imaginary phone. Eventually, a production assistant brings over a phone so that Pierce can read the comments. “It should be live, show me now!” Pierce yells. After staring in confusion at the phone for a few seconds, Pierce looks around asking, “Oh? This is it?” Pierce is solely the reason the live stream is as memorable as it is. What did you think of the chaos? Let us know in the comments below. Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.
Paul Pierce has had a few viral moments this week. In an interview with the I AM ATHLETE Podcast, Pierce discussed a lot of major moments from his career. One of the bigger moments from his interview was the topic of his firing from ESPN. The former Celtics star still doesn’t understand how his actions led to his firing from the network. The incident that led to Pierce’s firing involved the former all-star sharing an NSFW video on his Instagram page. Pierce doesn’t believe ESPN deserves an apology from him. However, Pierce did apologize to his family, that had to deal with the situation.
However, the latest viral moment from the interview is more lighthearted. But Richard Jefferson may not feel that way. When asked about who was the best player Pierce played against in his career, one name came to mind. Pierce said Carmelo Anthony was the toughest battle every time he had to play against him. The former NBA All-Star mentioned that the physicality that Melo brought to the court was the biggest factor. After discussing the best, the debate of the most overrated came into play. That’s when Pierce answered Richard Jefferson with a big laugh.
Paul Pierce Says Richard Jefferson Is Overrated
“I’d rather guard LeBron, Kobe, T-Mac, before @carmeloanthony. He used to hurt my chest. He a bulldog! He gon make you feel this 30.”
– Paul Pierce on the most underrated player he matched up with
Pierce and Jefferson were involved in a great rivalry early in their careers. Jefferson’s Nets and Pierce’s Celtics always had great battles. Including a few in the playoffs. Jefferson has become a key analyst for the NBA on ESPN. A position that Pierce once held. Maybe the answer to Jefferson being overrated is coming from more than just one place. However, Pierce didn’t seem all that serious when name-dropping Jefferson in the interview. Of course, Jefferson’s name may not be one of the first you think of when speaking of overrated.
It seems as if Paul Pierce may have just been having fun with Jefferson. It would be a hard task to call someone overrated in a public space. Pierce knows how hard it is to make it to the league. With Jefferson’s long tenure in the league, Pierce was probably just having a little fun at his expense. What are your thoughts on Pierce’s comments? Do you believe that the jab was a little fun at Jefferson’s expense? Let us know how you feel in the comment section. For the latest news on the NBA, keep it right here at HNHH.
Paul Pierce built his legacy on the court. The former Boston Celtics star became “The Truth” when it was winning time. The Celtics legend even helped bring a championship back to Boston. After his playing days, Pierce became a fixture on NBA on ESPN. However, the NBA legend lost it all after an Instagram story resulted in his firing. Now Pierce is speaking about the incident publicly. However, Pierce isn’t sure the firing was justifiable.
On Monday’s episode of the I AM ATHLETE podcast, Pierce spoke about the incident. “I got fired for having some entertainment… It’s girls dancing and we blowing some tree, what did I do wrong?” Pierce seemed to insinuate that what happened in his personal life shouldn’t have caused his firing. However, ESPN is a public company. Situations like the one involving Pierce are considered a bad look for such a popular company. Also, the parent company being, Disney, should give Pierce all the information he needs on the situation.
Paul Pierce Doesn’t Believe His Instagram Post Should’ve Resulted In His Firing
Paul Pierce recounts being fired from ESPN on his day off:
“I got fired for having some entertainment. What did I do wrong?”
Pierce isn’t oblivious to the situation. He understands the public embarrassment that comes in a situation like this. The Celtics legend talked about apologizing to his daughter for his actions. Pierce felt the only apology he should do was to his family for displaying the moment to the world. Upon his reflection, Pierce stands strong in his beliefs on the situation. NBA fans have seen recently how public posts can hurt a reputation and even potentially ruin a career. Grizzlies star Ja Morant has seen his career take a massive turn with his recent Instagram troubles.
Paul Pierce will always be known as a legend for the Boston Celtics. However, the social media controversy will always be a part of his legacy. But the controversy doesn’t seem to affect who Pierce is today. In addition, it does feel as if Pierce feels he shouldn’t have been fired for his actions. Where do you stand on the situation involving Pierce’s firing? Do you feel he deserves a second chance in another media role? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section. For the latest NBA news, keep it right here at HNHH.
If you are an NBA historian, then you know there is a conspiracy around Paul Pierce and his infamous wheelchair game in the 2008 NBA Finals. For those who may not know, Pierce got injured while playing against the Lakers in Game 1 of the championship series. He was subsequently taken away in a wheelchair before coming back to the floor not soon after. Overall, fans were convinced that he was going to be out for the series. Consequently, there was a feeling that the Lakers were guaranteed to win it all.
However, Pierce’s unlikely comeback was able to rally the Celtics. They eventually won the series and cemented themselves in NBA history. Moreover, Pierce walked away with NBA Finals MVP, which was a pretty incredible achievement. However, the conspiracy surrounding this moment is that Pierce actually had to go to the bathroom. Some believe he had an accident in his shorts and needed to be carried off in order to hide his desperate situation. Now, however, he is being given an opportunity to speak on it.
Pierce and Kevin Garnett recently took a trip to the Celtics facility where they interviewed Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. During the conversation, Brown asked Paul Pierce about what really went down that day. Pierce seemed a bit embarrassed by the question, however, he answered it regardless. As you can see, he blames the wheelchair moment on a sprained MCL. Garnett was a bit confused by what the rumors were, which led to a hilarious explanation from Pierce. Either way, Pierce is standing on the fact that he was truly injured.
Despite his recent explanation, not everyone is going to believe Pierce. Pierce is one of those media personalities that NBA fans love to hate. However, you have to take him at his word here. Either way, this is a legendary moment in NBA history. That 2008 Celtics team will always be beloved, and the current Celtics roster is trying to recreate their success. Be sure to stay tuned to HNHH for more news and updates from around the sports world.
Paul Pierce is someone who played for a very long time in the NBA. Overall, he got to see a lot during his time in the league. Furthermore, he saw plenty of players engage in off-court controversies that changed the course of their careers. Of course, we are starting to see that right now with none other than Ja Morant. Over the past week or so, Morant has been accused of pointing a gun at a teenager. Moreover, he was accused of threatening a mall cop. He even brandished a gun on Instagram Live while at a strip club.
Consequently, the Memphis Grizzlies have suspended Ja Morant indefinitely. At first, he was only going to miss two games. However, after talking with Morant, they decided to increase the punishment. All of this has led to a lot of discourse about Morant and his future in the league. There are a lot of people who feel as though Ja is being reckless, and is ruining his career. Paul Pierce, however, feels a different way. In his tweet below, Pierce recounts his own personal experience and how you never know what a player might be going through.
Paul Pierce Speaks
I don’t care what y’all say about Ja I carried a gun after I was stabbed y’all don’t know what he going thru everyone got something to say until u really know what’s really going on in someone life when u black and rich u a target period
“I don’t care what y’all say about Ja I carried a gun after I was stabbed y’all don’t know what he going thru everyone got something to say until u really know what’s really going on in someone life when u black and rich u a target period,” Pierce said. As Pierce explains, during his early years with the Celtics, he was attacked. This left him feeling vulnerable, and it led to him purchasing a weapon to defend himself. Although, there is a clear difference between self-defense and flashing weapons on your Instagram story.
Either way, Pierce does make a good point. There is no telling how Morant feels right now, and those around him are going to need to step in and help him. Regardless, this is a very distressing situation. You never want to see a player put themselves in a bad position like this. Hopefully, Morant is able to get it together, sooner rather than later.
Following his retirement, Pierce became an analyst on TV where he became known for his controversial takes and obvious Celtics bias. He was certainly one of the most entertaining voices over at ESPN, although now, he can be heard giving his opinions alongside Garnett for Showtime. Additionally, Pierce has been working on a whole host of different businesses. He continues to make strides in the Cannabis industry, and Pierce is investing in enough companies to keep him busy. Overall, it’s been a productive retirement for the Celtics legend.
Paul Pierce, presented by Kevin Garnett speaks during the 2021 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony at Symphony Hall on September 11, 2021 in Springfield, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Of course, the 2022-23 season started just a couple of months ago, and so far, it has been extremely interesting. Just like the rest of us, Pierce has been tapped in, and he has plenty to say on what he’s seen so far. With that said, we got to speak with The Truth for the latest edition of our “12 Days Of Christmas” series.
Throughout the interview, Pierce got to talk about the Celtics’ heartbreak from last year, the Ime Udoka situation, Jayson Tatum’s MVP campaign, and the difference between his era and the current one. You also may be surprised by who he thinks will be in the Finals this year.
This interview has been slightly edited for length and clarity
HNHH: Starting things off, when it comes to the season so far, what have your thoughts really been on the quality of basketball?
Paul Pierce: It’s been pretty good. You know, what is one thing that’s probably standing out the most to me? It’s kind of like the balance around the league. You know, you can’t just say one or two teams as contenders. I think you got about like six teams that can possibly win the championship this year. I really like some of the young teams who are thriving in the Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans. They’ve been a surprise early in the season. Obviously, we knew the Celtics will be good after they run last year. But when you look and you see Golden State, you know, they not in the top four right now. It just shows you how almost better everybody else has gotten. And I liked the balance across the league this year.
In terms of those young teams that are contending, you see Memphis and the Pelicans, you but they don’t have the same experience as a Golden State. So how do you think that will translate for them as the season goes on?
Man, you know, this is the way I look at it. Golden State was one of those young teams before too when they made the leap and they had to get over the hump of beating teams like San Antonio, who was in the middle of a dynasty or just finishing up. And so yeah, they don’t have experience which is why I believe that would give Golden State their advantage because of their experience, because they’ve been in deep playoff rounds, won championships, and these other teams are still learning how to win. So hopefully, they’ll use the regular season. For some of them who played in the playoffs last year, like Memphis and the Pelicans, they were in the playoffs last year. So they have a little experience. So hopefully, you know, they can gain confidence from that.
Former Boston Celtics player Paul Pierce celebrates on the sidelines after the Boston Celtics beat the Golden State Warriors 116-100 after Game Three of the 2022 NBA Finals at TD Garden on June 08, 2022 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
As a former Celtic obviously, you’re watching the team a lot. What do you think of their strong start to the season so far?
Yeah, I really expected them to come on really good, especially with the additions. Malcolm Brogdon really gave them some depth. I expect them to come on and be strong. Did I know they were gonna be this strong? I don’t know. But you know, right now, they look like the team to beat in the NBA. So they got strong play from the all-stars. Jayson Tatum looking like an MVP. Jaylen Brown is also looking like an MVP candidate too. So, you know those guys are playing well. They tough to beat.
Everyone is talking about Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum as an elite duo right now. They were an elite duo last year. But now they’ve really sort of kicked it up a notch. Where would you rank them in terms of the duos across the NBA right now?
I think they’re the best duo right now. I mean, you look at what they’ve been able to accomplish this year, even last year, when you look at the numbers, the numbers don’t lie. Jayson has given them 30 points again, and Jaylen giving them like 27 a game. So I’ll put them right up there at the top. You know, this ain’t no disrespect to the other guys who have got really good players, because you can name guys like LeBron and Anthony Davis, Kyrie and Kevin Durant? Joel Embiid and James Harden, and a number of other young stars with their teams. Murray and Trae Young… but I think I do truly believe that the [Celtics] got the best duo.
Coming into this season for the Celtics, there was a bit of controversy. They have a new coach, although one that was already in the system. On your end, how difficult is it for a team to overcome that mental hurdle, especially at the start of a season? Or do you think it didn’t really matter since they already had that core together?
It’s easy for us to speculate because when it all happened… Ime Udoka got suspended. It was just like, what he was able to create? What kind of culture did he make and taking into the powers you thought would kind of like, put a dent in their armor? But it looked like they got the leadership from within. A lot of his coaches are still there. A lot of the same players. They just added a couple more players, but I just think the infrastructure was there. And you know, when you got leadership from within from the sidelines to the players, and it just carries over, no matter who’s head coach, and because these guys have been together, they’ve won together. And they know what it takes.
Paul Pierce attends the game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Kansas Jayhawks during the 2022 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament National Championship at Caesars Superdome on April 04, 2022 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Going back to last season, you know, how hard was it for you personally to watch that Celtics team lose the finals to the Warriors, just having a personal attachment to that franchise?
It’s always tough. Game four was the game where I think Curry…That was the turning game. They got a chance to go up 3-1 and I just knew once they lost that game, I was like, ‘this ain’t right.’ They gave this team confidence and a courageous plan. Like the best player in basketball. So it definitely hurt. And I know they feel it more than me, because I was out there [once]. They knew that this was an opportunity, because you know, it’s hard to make it to the NBA Finals, and let alone winning. You can’t take that for granted.
What do you think the next step will have to be for this in order to get over the hump and be able to win a championship this time around? Because players like Jayson Tatum had it rough in the Finals.
Well, now that they’ve been on a big stage, they know what to expect. They showed that they was a veteran team, they didn’t get rattled in big moments. They understood the moment. Boston is a young team that has that experience now. So now, when that moment comes, they’ll know how to react better, and they will be better prepared. Not only for what it takes, and so on. And that’s that’s huge. You know, it’s tough when you’re going through your first finals against a team who’s been there, done that, you know, the lights, the media attention, all that can get to some young players, and you know, now that they’ve experienced it, I think there’ll be more equipped for it this time around.
As someone who won a title in Boston who knows what it is like to be on a dynasty in the making, do you think this current iteration of the Celtics has dynasty potential?
Well, yeah, I mean, I think the pieces are in place when you got two young stars like they do. A number of other young guys. Everything is in place, because when you looked at dynasties over the years, where you look at it, like how the Lakers did it when Kobe and Shaq were young, the San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors, you know, they had the infrastructure built with the young stars. And so that’s definitely there. But you got to get that first one. And once you get that first one under the belt, who knows what might happen with this thing?
Paul Pierce, NBA legend speaks during the NRL Grand Final Media Opportunity at Martin Place on October 04, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Jason McCawley/Getty Images)
In terms of the modern-day NBA, you look at a team like the Warriors and they’re probably the best example of a dynasty in the contemporary era. Especially with players always jumping around from team to team. What has been the key to the Warriors dynasty and what is the blueprint for future NBA dynasties, moving forward?
If they didn’t win that much, then you know, they wouldn’t be resigning these guys all the time and keeping them together. So you know, they gotta win. That’s what’s gotta happen for Boston to stay together and for these two guys to grow together. They gotta win. You know, they keep going to the finals and losing, you probably see a shakeout. Right now is their time. They are still young, they know they got two great players, and that’s what you can build around moving forward, but they got to win. And that’s how it always starts with culture. You know, Boston Celtics have created a great culture for winning and it starts at the top, also ownership, coaching staff all the way through.
I just want to know what your thoughts were on the Draymond Green and Jordan pool situation because that was such a viral moment for that team and it also had ramifications on their free agency situation.
Well, you know, it shouldn’t happen. I think Draymond knows that it shouldn’t happen. Him being the veteran leader… shouldn’t have ever come to that. And I know he realized he made a mistake. But you know, they can get past stuff like that. And I truly believe they’ve gotten past it. When you’re in a culture like the Golden State Warriors, what they have in their leadership and their locker room, they can sweep stuff like that under the rug, and move on.
Jumping into the difference between eras. You played in a more defense-heavy era. You guys always talk about how it was much tougher to play, it was more aggressive on the defensive end. Maybe expand on that and how the game has changed because now more than ever, we see guys putting up these insane 40-50-point games.
I mean, it’s not only the difference in eras. As time has gone on, they’ve adjusted certain defensive rules that really give an advantage to the offensive player. They don’t allow a lot of bumping, they don’t allow a lot of holding, you know, and so, they really try to preach freedom of movement. And so when you allow that, then the advantage, the advantage is always gonna go to the offensive player. And that’s why you’re seeing these guys putting up record-setting numbers, not just individually. Just the other day I saw Sacramento put up like 140-145 points. But it’s good for the guys. Guys are better shooters these days, from top to bottom, and that’s why we are seeing these types of numbers.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – OCTOBER 01: UFC interim middleweight champion Israel Adesanya (L) and former NBA player Paul Pierce (R) pose for a photo during a media opportunity ahead of UFC 243 at Marvel Stadium on October 1, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
In terms of just the young stars that are really dominating the game right now, who is somebody that you think could dominate in any era? Whether that be your era, the 90s, 80s, etc.
A lot of these guys. You got to figure that Kevin Durant, Kyrie, the Greek Freak. A lot of these guys will be dominant in any era… Jokic, The Joker. Steph Curry, of course.
Transitioning into your post-playing career, what are some projects that you’ve really been looking forward to doing or working on right now?
Right now, I’m doing the podcast with Kevin Garnett. We do our weekly podcast. I’ve just been doing a lot of investing in different companies. I’m working on putting together my documentary, as we speak, been doing stuff in the cannabis space, launching my brands in Boston, Phoenix, Ohio. And I’m gonna talk to somebody about starting my own long tequila brand. Why not?
What has it been like to sort of reconnect with Kevin Garnett and be able to do that show and just talk hoops all the time?
I mean, we just at the house chillin,’ man. We were really good friends. He lives five minutes from me, our kids go to school together. So it’s just natural for us to just kind of come together and talk hoops.
It’s still pretty early into the season but if you could pick an MVP right now, who would it be and why?
Right now, I gotta go with Jayson Tatum, man. I mean, because he’s leading the best team in basketball record-wise so far. He stepped his game up to another level. But it’s a long race, you know? But right now as of today, I gotta go with Jayson Tatum.
Just lastly, probably the Celtics are in there, but who do you think is probably destined for an NBA Finals appearance this year and who do you think is going to win, and in how many games?
Oh, I really see the Celtics are getting back in the finals. It’s gonna be tough because I believe it’s gonna be them and Milwaukee but I think the Celts are gonna win in seven games. I think it’s gonna be tough to find another team that can beat the Golden State Warriors in a seven-game series. It’s just hard for me to see them losing a seven-game series to anybody in the West, so I’m gonna go with them. I’m going with a rematch of last year.
Who do you got winning that series?
Celtics are winning in seven.
Awesome! Thank you so much for taking the time today.
Hall of Fame basketball player Paul Pierce has a supporter in singer and Hollywood star Tyrese Gibson. The Fast & Furious actor took to social media to vocalize his support in light of ESPN firing Pierce. Tyrese Gibson Defends Paul Pierce After Firing Gibson says that he’s not falling for any of it. Ty went […]
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