Boston legend Paul Pierce proud of Celtics' Isaiah Thomas: 'He's taken the torch'
The future Hall of Famer also called him a "championship-caliber player"
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2 min read
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce is apparently happy to see what Isaiah Thomas is doing these days. Before his final game in Boston on Sunday, the Los Angeles Clippers forward referred to Thomas as a "championship-caliber player" and raved about the way he has put the team on his back this season, via Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe:
"I told him I'm proud of what he's been able to do for this organization," Pierce said Sunday, before the Celtics' 107-102 win over the Clippers. "This city will get behind you as long as you continue to work hard and compete at a high level and soak it all up. There's no place like this place in the NBA. It's kind of what we talked about. And I said, I told him, 'Enjoy it. Enjoy every moment.' "
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"He's taken it," Pierce said. "He's taken the torch, man. The city is proud of him for what he's doing. You know, I keep up. I've been watching him. And especially where he's come from, I mean, he's been on like three or four different teams and now he's finally established himself as an NBA MVP candidate, All-Star. Just the route that he took: He wasn't projected to really do much in the NBA as a small guy, and so he's taken a different route than a lot of us, and he definitely could carry the torch in his time here."
After Pierce finished his postgame news conference Sunday, he passed Thomas in the bowels of the TD Garden. They stopped and shook hands.
"Keep holding it down," Pierce said.
"You already know," Thomas responded.
Thomas, who scored 28 points and dished eight assists in the Celtics' 107-102 victory over the Clippers, spent some time with Pierce the night before the game. This picture surely made Boston fans giddy:
The story of Thomas' ascension can't be told without looking at how he has embraced the Celtics' history and become the face of the franchise. This is a 5-foot-9 point guard from Tacoma, Washington, who grew up a Los Angeles Lakers fan, is named after a Detroit Pistons Hall of Famer and was selected No. 60 overall in the draft. It is hard to come up with a more unlikely Boston superstar, but the city has fallen in love with his personality, his fearlessness and his excellence in clutch situations. The fact that Pierce is talking about him in such reverent tones is perhaps even more meaningful than LeBron James calling him a star because of the weight that Pierce's comments carry with Celtics fans.
The way Pierce talks about the franchise for which he played 15 seasons, it is clear that he considers it different from the other 29 in the NBA. He has a connection with the city of Boston unlike most players, even more superstars, have with any place, and that was fully visible (and audible!) Sunday. That's something to keep in mind as Thomas enters a contract year next season. When he eventually hits free agency, the two-time All-Star will have plenty of offers to go elsewhere, but the Celtics are the team that gave him the keys and let him be the player he always believed he could be. It is also an organization with a long history of winning and a strong track record when it comes to keeping its stars involved after they retire. If the Celtics ever have to pitch Thomas on re-signing, don't be surprised if Pierce is in the meeting.
