Claim: Paul Pierce played basketball.

The Consensus 1998 College Basketball All-American team , as determined by aggregating the results of four major All-American teams . To earn `` consensus '' status , a player must win honors from a majority of the following teams : the Associated Press , the USBWA , The Sporting News and the National Association of Basketball Coaches .   In 1998 , the Sporting News was added as a contributing source to the consensus teams , belatedly replacing the UPI All-American team , which ceased to exist after 1996 .