Paul Pierce Joins Los Angeles Clippers For $10M, Reunites With Doc Rivers
It’s official — NBA star Paul Pierce is now one of the Los Angeles Clippers!
According to ESPN, the 37-year-old small forward signed a three-year, $10 million deal with the Clippers after finalizing his decision to leave the Washington Wizards behind.
By playing for the Clippers, Pierce is finally reuniting himself with Doc Rivers — the former longtime head coach of the Boston Celtics.
Done deal! 📝 LA native Paul Pierce is officially a member of the LA Clippers. pic.twitter.com/OddmKUb3NA
— LA Clippers (@LAClippers) July 10, 2015
Even though Paul Pierce did not officially become one of the Clippers until Friday, he apparently worked alongside Doc Rivers to help secure one of the team’s most influential players.
ESPN reports that Pierce was a part of the small group that Rivers assembled to visit DeAndre Jordan in Houston on Wednesday.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, DeAndre Jordan made headlines this week by essentially tossing his verbal agreement to join the Mavericks aside in order to re-sign with the Clippers.
DeAndre Jordan avoided Mark Cuban earlier this week by telling him that he was on a date: http://t.co/Z8G5bY2Fyx pic.twitter.com/le7xGSgHLY — Complex (@ComplexMag) July 10, 2015
According to Doc Rivers, Pierce’s 18 years in the NBA played an instrumental role in that particular situation.
“He was great. He’s always been pretty straightforward and a team builder.”
This will also mark the very first time that Paul Pierce has played for a team in the Western Conference. After leaving the Celtics in 2013, Pierce played for the Brooklyn Nets followed by the Washington Wizards.
Raptors folded, but #Nets are bonding over Paul Pierce’s criticism #WizardsTalk http://t.co/IcITFpJrlx pic.twitter.com/iwReNJifLQ
— CSN Wizards (@CSNWizards) April 28, 2015
Heading to Los Angeles for Paul Pierce, though, is essentially just like going home for him. Paul was born in Oakland, California, and attended Inglewood High School before starting his successful college basketball career at the University of Kansas in 1995.
Paul Pierce was first chosen by the Boston Celtics with the 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft.
#TBT #NBADraft 1998: With the 10th pick, the @Celtics select Paul Pierce from the University of Kansas. pic.twitter.com/BwbnvNEhZM — Only In Boston (@OnlyInBOS) June 25, 2015
In addition to the NBA championship ring he earned while playing with the Boston Celtics in 2008, Pierce has a pretty long list of other awards and accolades — including the 2008 NBA Finals MVP, the ten times that he’s made the All-Star game roster as well as his three-point shootout championship from 2010.
[Image Credit: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images]
