Boston Celtics: Three Celtics will be part of 2021 Hall of Fame class

Shortly after Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame over the weekend, it was announced that Paul Pierce, another Celtics legend, is going to be part of the next class to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. A truly memorable weekend for the Boston Celtics organization.

The Boston Celtics drafted Pierce tenth overall in the 1998 NBA Draft. Throughout the course of his 15-year playing career in Boston, we watched a raw 21-year-old with no direction eventually evolve into one of the greatest Celtics of all time and an established NBA player as well. Pierce is one of the best scorers in the history of the Boston Celtics and there was never any doubting him one day becoming a Hall-of-Famer.

Paul Pierce, Bill Russell, and Mike Gorman will all be enshrined in the 2021 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame for their efforts with the Boston Celtics

With 26,397 points scored during his career, Pierce ranks 16th on the NBA’s all-time points list. He also is second on the Celtics’ all-time point list, behind John Havlicek. Pierce is responsible for bringing a championship back to Boston in 2008 and almost again in 2010. To which he received NBA Finals MVP for his efforts.

Pierce was special to many of the fans in Boston. He gave them a sense of hope and optimism to keep believing in the Celtics throughout the hard times and the down years. In doing so, Pierce brought a Celtics championship back to the city for the first time in 22 years.

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It was also announced that Bill Russell will be enshrined into the Hall of Fame as a coach, becoming just the third player to be inducted as both a player and as a coach. Russell took over for Red Auerbach and became a player-coach for the Celtics in 1966. By doing so, Russell became the first black head coach in NBA history.

Russell would hold the role of being a player-coach for the final three seasons of his career, winning two championships in 1968 and 1969. Russell’s 11 championships in 13 years is still an untouchable record in all of sports. The last player/coach to be inducted was Russell’s teammate, Tommy Heinsohn.

Along with Pierce and Russell, the Boston Celtics still have another legend being inducted into the hall of fame next year. Mike Gorman, the Celtics’ play-by-play announcer, will be receiving the Curt Gowdy Media Award as part of the 2021 NBA Hall of Fame class.

Gorman is a legend of his own. He has been announcing games with the Celtics since the early 1980s. He’s best known for his on-air partnership with Heinsohn. Together, Gorman and Heinsohn created one of the longest-tenured broadcasting duos in professional sports that lasted for 39 years, up until Heinsohn passed away last November.

Needless to say, between Garnett, Pierce, Russell, and Gorman, the Boston Celtics had a memorable weekend within their franchise. Not to mention, the Celtics still plan on organizing an event that will retire Garnett’s No. 5 in the rafters with the rest of the Celtics greats.