Longtime Boston Celtics star swingman and fan favorite Paul Pierce has been elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.
The announcement was revealed in a televised special on ESPN, a day after reports began to trickle out about Pierce’s inclusion. Joining Pierce in the Class of 2021 are Chris Bosh, Toni Kukoc, Ben Wallace and Chris Webber.
Pierce came to the Celtics as the No. 10 overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft out of Kansas. He played 15 seasons with the Celtics, earning All-Star status 10 times and All-NBA recognition four times. Pierce was named MVP of the 2008 NBA Finals, when Boston defeated the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Pierce becomes the 49th Hall of Famer with ties to the Celtics franchise. He averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 1,102 regular-season games with Boston. In the postseason for the Celtics, Pierce averaged 20.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 136 games.
Pierce ranks second in Celtics franchise history in points scored (24,021), third in games played (1,102) and seventh in rebounds (6,651).
After his Celtics tenure, Pierce played one season each with the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards. He concluded his NBA career by playing two seasons with his hometown Los Angeles Clippers.
