Claim: Paul Pierce played basketball.

Paul Anthony Pierce -LRB- born October 13 , 1977 -RRB- is an American former professional basketball player who played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association -LRB- NBA -RRB- . Pierce was a high school McDonald 's All-American and earned All-America first team honors in his junior year at Kansas .   Pierce spent the first fifteen years of his career with the Boston Celtics , who drafted him with the 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft . He became a bone fide star as captain of the Celtics , earning ten All-Star nods and becoming a four-time All-NBA team member . After nine seasons of leading the Celtics as their sole star player , Pierce combined with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in 2007 to form a `` Big Three '' that together led Boston to the NBA Finals in 2008 and 2010 , winning the 2008 NBA Championship . Pierce was instrumental to the Celtics ' 2008 championship run , as he was awarded the Finals MVP after averaging 22 points per game . Pierce is one of only three players , alongside Larry Bird and John Havlicek , to score over 20,000 points in their career with the Celtics alone . He holds the Celtics ' record for most three-point field goals made and also ranks third in team history in games played , second in points scored , seventh in total rebounds , fifth in total assists , and first in total steals . He has also made the fourth most three-point field goals in NBA history , behind only Jason Terry , Reggie Miller and Ray Allen . His nickname , `` The Truth '' , was given to him by Shaquille O'Neal in March 2001 .   In July 2013 , Pierce was included in a deal that sent him to the Brooklyn Nets , along with teammates Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry . He signed with the Washington Wizards the following offseason , but after just one season with the Wizards , he moved back home to Los Angeles and reunited with his former Celtics coach Doc Rivers at the Clippers . He spent two seasons with the Clippers before retiring following the 2016 -- 17 season .