Paul Pierce Had an Incredibly Hypocritical Take on Kyrie Irving Leaving the Celtics for the Nets
By Jerry Trotta
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce has been no stranger to unleashing scorching hot takes since he joined ESPN as an NBA analyst, and The Truth was back personifying those antics on Friday.
Pierce was asked for his thoughts on Kyrie Irving's return to TD Garden, which is less than one week away when the Brooklyn Nets visit the Celtics, and he delivered an alarmingly hypocritical point of view.
Just watched Paul Pierce (ESPN) on the press room TV in Denver. He said no other player of Kyrie's caliber has ever said he was coming back to a team and then left, and he made the case he should be booed when/if he's back in the Garden next Wednesday. Pierce: "He deserves it."
— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) November 23, 2019
"This is Boston, folks," said Pierce. “When you tell these fans, ‘Hey, I’m going to re-sign. I’ll be back, I’m here for the long run.’ And then you turn around and leave a sour taste in the organization’s lap and fans — this is going to be one of the loudest boos in league history...This has never happened. When has that happened with a player of his caliber? It’s never happened. He deserves it."
Pierce is really going to make us run through quick history lesson, isn't he? Does he not recall claiming that he wanted to end his career in Beantown and then basically requesting a trade after the 2013 season?
After the Celtics' championship core of him, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Rajon Rondo grew stale, they wanted to break it up and head elsewhere. Of course, Pierce and KG were ultimately dealt to the Nets, the very team that Pierce just criticized Kyrie for joining this offseason.
Paul Pierce expects "the loudest boos in league history" when Kyrie Irving returns to TD Garden, and he says the Nets guard "deserves it."https://t.co/WD1MAlxuZk pic.twitter.com/kK6lIQRVFl
— NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSBoston) November 23, 2019
There's no doubting that Pierce is a Celtics legend, but to call out Kyrie for deceiving the city of Boston (which he unquestionably did) is the epitome of hypocrisy given how his tenure as a Celtic concluded.