NBA players betting on games is a big no-no, but it’s fairly common for them to have fun little wagers among themselves. Often, the point is to show how confident they are in themselves or their team, but sometimes it backfires as it did on Paul Pierce.
In 2008, the Boston Celtics put together their Big 3 and were on their way to winning the championship. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though, as their 7-game series against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round proved. And Pierce had a bet with Al Horford during the series, which he lost and then didn’t end up honoring.
“The hosts asked Horford, who was on the show with teammate Marvin Williams if he ever got the chance to clear the air with Pierce after the game,” reported ESPN in 2009.
“‘I never talked to him,’ Horford said, ‘but I know he owes me money. Marvin was a witness. He was telling me they were going to sweep us and all this. We bet. And I never got anything.’
“Asked how much he’s owed, Horford said ‘ten thousand’ and then explained that bet was that the Hawks would not get swept.”
Paul Pierce balled out during that series, averaging 18 points per game while shooting 41.7% from three-point range. Al Horford was also coming up as a key player, and he averaged 12.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. The Hawks took the Celtics to a Game 7, although they got blown out 99-65 in the final showing. Winning three games is considerably more than one though, so Pierce should have paid up.
Paul Pierce Had An Excellent Playoff Run In 2008
Paul Pierce could have been more gracious, considering that he had an elite run through the playoffs that season. He averaged 19.7 points for the Celtics and even won the Finals MVP after they beat the Lakers in six games in the NBA Finals. Pierce had a salary of $16.3 million that year, so $10,000 certainly wouldn’t have made a difference for him at the time.
He’s always been someone that marches to the beat of his drum, though that is evident even today. Just this week, Pierce was seemingly drunk on a live stream with Kevin Garnett, enjoying life and cracking jokes. Al Horford has gone on to lead the Celtics to success, although they have fallen short of a championship, so surely things are all good between them now.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
