Shaq told Ernie Johnson on the TNT set that one thing he didn’t like about the world we’re “living in now” is that some “unwritten rules are being broken.” Shaq pointed out that Brandon Jennings somehow thought it was his place to say Paul Pierce, a surefire Hall of Famer who’s retiring, should get a farewell tour (like Kobe Bryant) since Pierce only won a single championship. Shaq’s problem? Since “when can a player that doesn’t have game talk about a guy who does have game?”
Charles Barkley took the opportunity to give a shout out to Pierce, saying he had “an amazing career” and calling Pierce a “good guy.” Barkley also mentioned that Pierce had “probably one of the great nicknames in NBA history” — Pierce was called “The Truth.” Shaq, of course, chimed in with “You’re welcome.” The big fella nicknamed Pierce “The Truth” back in the day and it stuck. Pierce played 19 years — some as the self-proclaimed best player in the world — and a lot of people better than Brandon Jennings (Kobe, Oscar Robertson, Kevin Garnett, etc.) appreciated Paul Pierce — as you see below:
From @KobeBryant to Kevin Garnett, NBA legends say farewell to @PaulPierce34 pic.twitter.com/TSPvCbimjN
— The Players’ Tribune (@PlayersTribune) April 30, 2017
