The slip of the draft pick stimulated Pierce. Pitino had asked Pierce if he would like to stay with the Green Army, and he told Pierce that they might make a deal with the Rockets, not knowing if he would like to go. Pierce responded: "Don't trade me anywhere. He had only a vague idea of Boston. His good friend Billups played half a rookie season under Pitino last season. Billups told Pierce that in training camp, everyone tried their best.
Pierce said: "What I was thinking was, this is the best form of my life. The post-NBA shutdown gave Pierce an extra few months to adjust to form. When Pierce arrived, his teammates found him to be a great player. Anthony Walker, who has been a teammate with Pierce for five years, said: "He has killer qualities, he's very confident and you can see the confidence he wants to be a great player. ”
That's exactly how Pierce played. He averaged 16.5 points per game in his rookie season and finished third in the rookie polls. Every night, he looked at the two players who voted ahead of him. In the next game against the Raptors, 76 and Bucks, he played well to get himself out of the confusion. He said: "These games have taken me to new heights. I play more meaningfully. This drive motivates me every night and TM inspires me every day. ”
The next day was one he would never forget. On September 25, 2000, Pierce was at a nightclub in the heart of Boston, with his teammates Tony Barty and Barty's brother Derek with him. That's what Pierce remembers about it. At a pool table, Pierce stopped talking to two women. Suddenly, a man came up and he said, "That's my sister." Pierce responded that he had no disrespect.
Suddenly, a champagne bottle smashed into his head, and a group of people surrounded him, some punching and kicking, some of them frantically stabbing him with knives. The area between his two shoulder blades was stabbed five times. Three knives pierced his stomach, and one stabbed into the diaphragm, poking a hole in his lungs and sliding half a foot (about 15 centimeters) through his heart. The security guards eventually got him to the stairwell, and the Barty brothers rushed him to the New England Medical Center. In the emergency room, Pierce asked, "Am I going to hang up?" ”
In talking about it, Pierce spoke lightly. Those knife wounds miraculously avoided his main organs. The pain is decreasing. For many days, Pierce had to lie on his side to the left because the wounds were mostly on the right. The pain in his stomach and back made it difficult for him to sleep. When he rolled over, he slammed angrily into his own doppelganger until he was unconscious. He thought about how to get revenge. "I was thinking, 'I'm going to kill some guy,'" he said. ’”
Pierce needed a channel to vent his anger. Basketball, once his passion, has now become his pouring mouth. He chatted with his mother, Lorraine. His mother raised him in Inglewood, California, and his father, George, left when Pierce was 6 years old. Pierce said: "I isolate myself from the outside world. I don't talk to friends or family. All I think about is basketball. ”
His body then recovered at an alarming rate, which allowed him to catch up with the training camp in the last few days of early October. He wore a padded suit under his shirt to protect the wound that was still faintly hurting. He scored 28 points in the season opener and then played the next 81 games. Pitino was very happy that Pierce did not choose revenge, and Pierce said that was not his character in the first place. He said: "I just want to play and I want to pass on my anger to everyone on the pitch. Whoever dares to stop me, I will spank his ass. ”
Pierce thought he had been good enough to be an All-Star this season, but he failed to do so. He flew to Los Angeles, but instead of going home, he found a hotel and got angry. He watched the All-Star Game and then pondered why Alain Houston was able to overpower him: "I was so angry that I vowed to be selected next year. ”
The 2002 All-Star Game was played at the philadelphia 76ers' home, and this time Pierce was finally selected, marking the beginning of his 10th All-Star game.
Pierce's most iconic picture is hung on the wall of the North Shore Gardens Arena. In the photo, he holds aloft the trophy with his right hand as the FMVP, clenches his fist in his left hand, and wears a championship hat on his head, exuding the ecstasy of getting what he wants. It was the Celtics' 17th championship trophy and Pierce's first. He played a dominant performance in the 07-08 season, leading the team to win the championship in the sixth game against the Lakers. For Pierce, this is a supreme honor. When he sees this photo, he may also remember that he almost lost touch with these things.
Fast forward to 2007, and Pierce is still living in a fog. In 2002, the twin stars of Pierce and Walker led the team to the Eastern Conference Finals. A year later, the team was out in the second round, but Pierce believed the team was only one layer of window paper closer. But Angie didn't think so, and the former Green Army point guard became the team's president of basketball operations in May 2003.
Seven months later, Walker was sent away for the Lone Ranger. Soon after, coach Jimmy O'Brien also left the class. He was a longtime deputy to Pitino, taking over and stabilizing the team after Pitino resigned in 2001. In response, Pierce said: "It's Angie cleaning the portal and I feel like I'm next." ”
Angie didn't think so, saying: "Pierce is the only 'real estate' in the team. This team is not good enough. In 2004, Angie hired Rivers as head coach and he and Pierce quickly clashed. Pierce said: "People may not believe that we actually argue a lot. Pierce has since argued endlessly with Rivers and Angie about his shooting choices. He said: "They always told me how to play and wanted me to pass more. So, who do they want me to pass on? Welsch? Then I'd rather shoot some bad shots. (Welsch played a total of 55 games with the Green Army, a mediocre performance.) He was then sent back for a first-round pick. A year later, he faded out of the league. ）
Rivers understood Pierce's frustration, but stood by his point. He said: "Pierce used to play with Walker. Then I got here and Angie and I were talking about how to rebuild the team. Of course Pierce was thinking, what is going on with this TM? ”
At the end of the 06-07 season, Pierce had enough. His relationship with Rivers has improved, but his relationship with the team remains poor. In the 05-06 season, Pierce averaged 26.8 points per game, but the Green Army's record was only 33 wins and 49 losses. The following season was just 24 wins. Pierce wanted to leave, and the Celtics asked the Blazers for a price, but Pierce rejected the plan. He said: "The team is simply dysfunctional. ”
In the spring of 2007, Pierce found Lone Ranger owner Cuban at casino, and he told Cuban: "I am your championship puzzle." Pierce told the agent to try to push for a deal with the Lone Ranger. Pierce said: "I'm at the top, but I can only sit back and watch the other players play the playoffs. It was so desperate, I thought I should get out of here, I felt like [the Green Army career] was over. ”
Angie had a completely different idea. In the summer of 2007, he packed a basket of assets from the Timberwolves back to Garnett, (which included Al Jefferson and two future first-round picks) and got Ray Allen from the Supersonics. (a first-round pick and three players) Suddenly, Pierce became a title contender, and the passion he had burned in his rookie year was back. Former Celtic forward "White Mamba" Scala Bryan said: "Pierce was like a monster in training camp. He was up five notches at once. ”
The Green Army started the season with a 30-4 record, with Garnett bringing tough defense, Allen being the sharpest shooter in the league, and second-year Rondo has become an elite point guard. Rivers said: "Pierce is the glue to the team. He made Garnett the leader, and I think Pierce got too little praise for that. It's actually his team, with Garnett and Ray Allen being latecomers. Pierce did this out of complete trust, which is hard to see. This also shows his strong desire to win. ”
Of course, Pierce will not be a bystander. He averaged 19.6 points per game this season and averaged 22 points per game in the Finals. When the Green Army continues to score, he will stand up. Rivers said: "I would ask him where he would like to shoot, which is the only exception in my coaching career. He always got what he wanted. ”
When the game became fragmented, Pierce was even better. Skala Bryan said: "His performance in the chaos is unparalleled, and the ball is often switched in NBA games. The difference between hall of fame and all-star players can be in the 2 or 3 rounds of each game. In these fierce battles, Pierce can always get everything done. ”
Pierce is also unsure who will serve as his inductee inductee for the Hall of Fame. His 79-year-old mother is getting older, but she certainly won't miss this important scene. The same goes for Garnett, whose relationship is even stronger in the days when they ended their teammate relationship, with the two living no more than 10 minutes apart. Their families often get together, and their daughters, all born in the spring of 2008, are also best friends. Pierce said: "That's our championship babies. ”
George Pierce wouldn't come, and Pierce barely knew his father. All he knew was that his father lived in northern California. He recently reached out to his half-brother Billy on social media. Pierce said: "We talked openly for a while. He had hoped that his father would come on the day he was attacked. But none of the many phone calls, faxes, and emails he received came from his father. Pierce said: "I know about this, I have personally seen every greeting. ”
After winning the championship, Pierce still hadn't heard from his father, and he thought it was time to let go, but he was still thinking about why it was all there. He said, "I understand that you probably don't want to be with my mom. Well, anyway, you know I'm still your son. Why don't you come and see me? Ask me how I'm doing. I never ignored him for a penny. So what the hell is going on? I think that's something every child who lacks a father asks. What went wrong? I don't blame him for that. He is now in his twilight years. I mean, I don't have any hatred for him right now. ”
Pierce said he wanted to meet again. His four children are also grown up, and they will start asking questions about it, but he doesn't know how to answer them. While working for a prominent sports media, he talked to Jalen Ross about Ross's father, Jimmy Walker. Walker was the NBA's leading talent in 1967, and he died in 2007. Rose had never seen him, and he told Pierce that he often wished he could meet his father. Pierce said: "I wanted to do it, but the outbreak happened. ”
After that, who knows? Pierce, 43, no longer plans to return to the media. He said: "I want to do something different. "He actually has a chance to return to the NBA. While at the Orlando campus, Lakers head coach Vogel offered Pierce the position of assistant coach. The Clippers also offered Pierce a management position after he retired. Pierce said: "I don't want to be a coach, there are too many things to do, it's almost like playing, it may be worse. My children are still very young and I don't want to miss out on their growth. ”
Pierce took a stake in SelfiePop, an online platform that serves social media (he said: "It's like Romeo meeting Juliet." He also invested in cryptocurrencies. (a type of digital currency)
In 2007, Rivers took Pierce, Garnett and Ray Allen to a duck boat. Garnett asked Rivers, "How many titles can we win at your house?" Rivers said, "At least two." "But they couldn't do it.
In 2012, Allen signed the Green Army's nemesis, the Heat, and Pierce was out of anger. He said: "He even went to reduce his salary. The two even hid a small axe and took it out at the pre-season in China a few years ago. But the rest of the team didn't hate Aaron that much. Pierce felt Garnett softer than before. He said: "KG is not as stubborn as it used to be. Of Rondo, he said: "It's a problem, and Rondo is still so stubborn." ”
Pierce was still imagining scenarios. He has witnessed many scenes, such as Bill Russell, Tommy Heinthorne (a member of the Green Army who retired as the head coach and won two crowns), and the big bird and other Green Army legends were recognized by a group of Boston fans. He also seemed to see the season openers, the former starters, Pierce, Garnett, Allen, Rondo and Perkins, walked into the stadium together at half-time and shouted in unison.
There are many people who like their reunion, and Rivers has worked it. He said: "I failed. Pierce said he didn't want to be there: "I decided to talk to everyone about what kind of scene I wanted." ”
Yes, that would be another picture, a picture of their lives of love and hate.
By Chris Mannix
Compilation: Shaohua Baishou