Paul Pierce is the Best Basketball Player on the Planet

"Take this down," said Shaq. "My name is Shaquille O'Neal and Paul Pierce is the motherfucking truth. Quote me on that and don't take nothing out. I knew he could play, but I didn't know he could play like this. Paul Pierce is the truth."

Kobe Bryant may be the regular season MVP. And LeBron may be "King James." But in the Eastern Semi-Finals and the NBA Finals, Celtic Paul Pierce outplayed them on both ends of the court, shutting them down on defense when he needed to, scoring at will when he needed to, and playing some of the best team defense and team offense you're ever going to see. Paul Pierce showed he's the best basketball player on the planet today.

And you can add this too--Kobe Bryant may have the physical skills, but he ain't never going to be Michael Jordan. He doesn't have the character.

I'm a New York kid (and long-suffering Knick fan) lost in my adopted home of LA amongst rabid Lakers fans. But I follow the code I learned growing up on the streets of New York--in the finals, you always root for the Eastern team. And this year that team was the long-hated Boston Celtics. And what a Celtic team it was--led by Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett (reportedly Bulls fan Barack Obama's favorite player), it was right up there with the Cousy/ Russell/Havlicek Celtics and the Bird/McKale/ Parrish Celtics.

I'm not sure I'll enjoy anything as much as watching the Celtics crush the Lakers in Game 6 until I get to watch Barack Obama take the oath of office next January. Along with politics and the fight for social justice, basketball and jazz--those two great mostly African American demonstrations of improvisational prowess--are among the loves of my life (right after my family).

And speaking of family, my prayers go out to Ray Allen--one of the great pure shooters of all time--who discovered in the past two days that his 17-month old child has diabetes and despite arriving back in Boston sleepless after an all-night flight, tied the record for 3-point shots in an NBA finals.

Ray Allen, may your family be well.

Kevin Garnett, I don't know what planet you were born on, but you're something else.

And Paul Pierce, you're the motherfucking truth.

Comments

[PKSSK]

Shaq speaks the truth about the GREAT Paul Pierce!!!! I agree with Obama on Kevin Garnett, as he is my favorite player as well and Ray Allen is pure class. The coach, Doc Rivers, was the glue that encouraged the three to let go of their ego's so they could become the team that won Championship!!!

Congratulations to the Great Boston Celtics and Danny Ainge, General Manager, for having the foresight and confidence in Doc Rivers and Paul Pierce!!!

[truthiness]

Paul Pierce IS the motherfucking truth. And the Lakers are the Fakers. Kobe is a nasty piece of work, draping his kids on top of him in press conferences and at halftime doesn't fool any of us. We know he's a selfish MF. Kevin Garnett is the real regular season MVP. He inspired an entire organization to play with his flaming intensity, every game, every minute, from the pre-season until the final tick of the clock last night.

Somewhere tonight, Red Auerbach and Johnny Most are smiling.

[whatsthatsound]

You ARE kidding, aren't you?
Where was P.P. without the fearsome twosome that turned the Celtics from a 24 win team to a 66 win team? Try this thought experiment with me: Put LeBron James on the same team as Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. You get, what, 70 wins? 75? And a cakewalk to the Finals?
LBJ is the best player on the planet, and Paul Pierce is the best player on the best team, this year.
Wait till next year. Go Cavs!

[cgpunker]

Did you watch the finals? Paul Pierce was FIERCE out there. Game 5's performance alone puts him on top.

Pierce turned it on and carried that team when he had to. He ascended. Unlike Kobe, who folded like a cheap beach chair. LeBron James is, no doubt, one of the all time best...but the Cavs weren't there, were they?

[truthiness]

LeBron James was by far the best player the Celtics faced on their championship run. Not Kobe, the King of the Fakers. LeBron dropped 45 on the Celtics when they were defending and playing to their best. Kobe disappeared in the big games.

It was a pleasure to get to see James play in seven straight games, to really see his game up close like that. What a fantastic athlete, and what a leader. He willed his team to that 7th game.

I would pay good money to see LeBron James on the same team as Ray Allen & Kevin Garnett. I'd predict 80 wins!

[whatsthatsound]

sorry, truthy,

I was trying to add this comment directly to Mr. Mogulescu's post, not your comment.

[JustifiablyParanoid]

Why do I have the feeling that Shaq enjoyed yesterday's trouncing of the Lakers more than anybody else....?

[alltwisty]

You displease me greatly and I choose to ignore you :)

[EuLupu]

While I agree with you, although I am not a Celtic fan, I REALLY disagree with the use of MF word. Not because I am "sensitive" or an any other educational reasons, I simple do not believe that adds any qualification to Pierce's game whatsoever. He was just great. simple as that. Maybe Shaq is entitled to use it on "one on one" with Pierce but when you use it it just sounds like a stand-up comic abusing the F word.

[mmogu77]

The MF word is a direct quote from Shaq to the press, not "one on one" to Paul Pierce. But it can often be a very good word, full of expressiveness and nuance.

[EuLupu]

Great! Let's all use it to express ourselves for nuances that we can't express otherwise.

[huffdog]

Awesome!