Its not a shocker to anyone who knows Paul Pierce that his heart remains in Boston; and its also nothing new that its where he hopes to end his career. But when he did a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Paul Pierce talked about one regret he had during his previous free agency, not signing with the Clippers. The interview consisted of only 5 questions, but within those 5, you grasped the mindset of The Truth and his accomplishments going forward.
Moving on from Boston:
“It was a roller coaster, definitely. A lot of emotion went into it. Going through what we went through last year, I had a lot of thoughts like, ‘Shoot, I could have just stayed in Boston.’ [The Celtics] were going through some of the same things we were going through in Brooklyn. The key was to stay positive. Times change, you have to move on, and that is what I eventually did.”
On almost becoming a Clipper:
“I thought a lot about L.A. My wife wanted to stay there and put the kids in school. It would have been an easier transition for me being with Doc, being at home. I think I missed out on that opportunity by waiting to see what Brooklyn was going to do. When they eventually said they weren’t going to make any moves, I missed that boat. That kind of upset me.”
Will he ever return to Boston:
“Definitely. Maybe as a player, maybe as a coach, maybe upstairs [in the front office]. I follow what they are doing. I went back to Boston twice this summer, went to their practice facility. I keep up with them.”
Last Season with the Nets:
“It was a roller coaster, definitely. A lot of emotion went into it. Going through what we went through last year, I had a lot of thoughts like, ‘Shoot, I could have just stayed in Boston.’ [The Celtics] were going through some of the same things we were going through in Brooklyn. The key was to stay positive. Times change, you have to move on, and that is what I eventually did.”
Being a true free agent for the first time:
“I really didn’t know at first. I thought I would end up back in Brooklyn. Talking to Kevin [Garnett], we created a bond over the years and I said I would come back and finish it out with him. Things didn’t go the way we wanted, obviously. Brooklyn went in a different direction. I had to make a choice.”
Pierce spent 15 years of his career with the Celtics, you can understand why his heart stays with Boston. Its all a matter of when he will return is a question NBA fans have. With a two year contract with the Wizards, hopefully we will see him return after those years are up and retire where it all began.