Paul Pierce had his No. 34 jersey retired today after the Boston Celtics lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers by a final score of 121-99.
Pierce is the owner of a storied career with achievements that put him among the best and is loved by Celtic fans everywhere. He was drafted in 1998 at 21-years-old and stayed with the Celtics until he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets in 2013.
In today’s matchup against the Cavaliers, the TD Garden was electric with Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, and Doc Rivers all in attendance.
The Celtics went on to get manhandled by LeBron James and the new-look Cavaliers who dominated headlines during the trade deadline and acquired four new faces.
Afterwards, the retirement ceremony commenced for Pierce’s jersey. This is the 22nd jersey that has been retired for the Celtic’s, the most of any NBA team.
No. 34 heads to the rafters in TD Garden! ?? pic.twitter.com/TKwcxHwCRS
— NBA TV (@NBATV) February 12, 2018
Over the course of his 15 seasons in Boston, Pierce was selected to the All-Star team 10 times. He also won an NBA Championship and NBA finals MVP in 2008 when the Celtics took down the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
As far as strictly records within Boston, Pierce is top three all-time for points, minutes played, three-pointers made, and steals. These stats and everything he did for the city and the culture are more than enough to cement his position as a legendary Celtic.
