Paul Pierce: Philly Is 'One Of The Best Places To Play Basketball'
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Paul Pierce and Philadelphia 76ers fans have a layered relationship.
It started when the Sixers selected Larry Hughes (No. 8 overall) instead of Pierce (No. 10 overall) in the 1998 draft (Dirk Nowitzki went No. 9 overall). It continued as foes, as Pierce would go on to inflict pain on many Sixers fans over the years with soul-crushing playoff loses, most recently the Game 7 Celtics victory over the 76ers in the 2011-12 semifinals.
Eight days ago, Pierce -- now 38-years-old and a member of the Los Angeles Clippers -- came to Philly for "possibly" the final time. He praised the fan base.
"Oh man, I just remember the fans here," Pierce told CSNPhilly.com. "They've got some of the best fans. Where Philly is going, they've got a team that the crowd can get behind, this is probably one of the best places to play basketball. I remember playing them in the playoffs, how loud the crowd was, the towels waving and the electricity in this building. I feel like they can bring that back in the near future."
Specifically, Pierce reflected on facing Allen Iverson in a 2002 playoff series, calling Philly a top-five playoff atmosphere he's ever played in.
"I just knew that it was going to be hard," Pierce said of beating Iverson and that '02 76ers team. "That was the team that was coming off going to the championship. He just had this building fired up. He had the rabbit jumping, he had the DJ going, this building was pretty electric. This is one of the top five playoff atmospheres I've never played in."
So what if Larry Brown, Billy King, and the 76ers took Pierce instead of Hughes 18 years ago?
"Well, Philadelphia would probably be sitting on two championships," Pierce told CSNPhilly.com. "Me and Allen Iverson would be in the history books. End of story."