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Boston Celtics: 25 Best Players To Play For The Celtics

By Phil Watson

Apr 24, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; A general view of TD Garden prior to the first round of the NBA Playoffs between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 24, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; A general view of TD Garden prior to the first round of the NBA Playoffs between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
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BOSTON, MA – MAY 3: Paul Pierce #34 of the Boston Celtics tries to get by Iman Shumpert #21 of the New York Knicks during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs on May 3, 2013 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – MAY 3: Paul Pierce #34 of the Boston Celtics tries to get by Iman Shumpert #21 of the New York Knicks during Game Six of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals of the 2013 NBA Playoffs on May 3, 2013 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images) /

1999-2013. Paul Pierce. 9. player. 18. <strong> How Acquired: </strong>10th overall pick from Kansas, 1998 NBA Draft. SF-SG

Paul Pierce earned All-America honors as a junior at Kansas, averaging 20.4 points and 6.7 rebounds, and opted out of his final year of eligibility to test the professional waters.

The Boston Celtics selected Pierce with the 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, but it took almost a decade to turn him into a champion.

BOS_09_PIERCE
BOS_09_PIERCE /

Pierce was a 10-time All-Star with the Celtics, as well as being named to four All-NBA teams.

He led the NBA with 2,144 points in 2001-02 and his career was rejuvenated in 2007, when the Celtics made some moves to become contenders.

Boston won the NBA title in 2008 with Pierce as the Finals MVP after he averaged 21.8 points, 6.3 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 38.8 minutes per game in the six-game win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

Pierce also averaged 18 points, 5.3 rebounds and three assists per game in a seven-game loss to the Lakers in the 2010 NBA Finals.

He was third in the league in both scoring and three-pointers in 2001-02. Pierce was second in the NBA in steals in 1999-2000 and placed fifth in scoring in both 2002-03 and 2003-04.

He left Boston via a trade in July 2013, sent with Kevin Garnett, Jason Terry and D.J. White to the Brooklyn Nets for Keith Bogans, MarShon Brooks, Kris Humphries, Kris Joseph, Gerald Wallace and first-round picks in 2014, 2016 and 2018.

In 15 seasons with the Celtics, Pierce averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 36.6 minutes per game, shooting .447/.370/.806.

He played one year in Brooklyn before signing as a free agent with the Washington Wizards in July 2014.

Pierce signed a free-agent deal with the Los Angeles Clippers in July 2015. Showing serious signs of decline at age 38, Pierce averaged 6.1 points and 2.7 rebounds in 18.1 minutes per game, playing in 68 games–starting 38–and shooting .363/.310/.818.

He remains under contract with the Clippers through 2017-18.

Pierce is 15th in NBA history with 1,318 games, 16th with 45,603 minutes, fourth with 2,128 3-pointers, 19th with 1,748 steals and 16th with 26,316 points.

Next: K.G. Brought The Defense

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