We’ve all made mistakes growing up, but not many of us would have made a blunder as big as the one Paul Pierce made when he was eight years old. During an appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast, Pierce revealed how he burned down his house.
“A lot of people don’t know this story, and thank God social media wasn’t out,” Pierce said. “Because I was playing with matches as a like eight-year-old. We had a little small two-bedroom house and three boys in it. And I was playing with [matches]. I’ll never forget it either. I’m whitening up the quilt, blowing it out… Kids don’t know about that, the quilt that was handmade.
“So, I’m blowing it out, seeing how matches worked and lit it,” Pierce continued. “… And it was so out of control in my mama bedroom, I ran out and sat on the couch.”
The young Pierce was scared and didn’t end up telling anyone what he had done. He just compounded his mistake by doing so.
“Next thing you know, it’s smoke,” Pierce stated. “And next thing you know, man, I’m in front of the house. The whole neighborhood outside, fire trucks.”
Host Shannon Sharpe wondered if he had later revealed what had happened, and he did after getting spanked.
“Yeah, eventually after I got my a** whooped a lot, man,” Pierce said. “… That’s why I’m so proud that I made it. That I was able to reward my mom with a house when I got to the league and stuff.”
While Pierce would have loved to forget what he had done, the kids in the neighbourhood weren’t going to let him.
“I guess a year later, we moved back in the house,” Pierce stated. “I’m going around the neighborhood. They like arson. The older kids is calling me arsonist. I don’t even know what that is.”
That was brutal. Pierce is fortunate that no one ended up hurt by the fire. Things could have gone horribly wrong that day for the Boston Celtics icon and his family.
Paul Pierce Apologized To His Mother During His Hall Of Fame Speech
This isn’t the first time that Pierce has shared this story. The 48-year-old brought it up during his Hall of Fame speech in 2021, and he apologized to his mother, Lorraine Hosey.
“Start off with my mom,” Pierce said. “My mom, she couldn’t be here tonight. She’s still here, she’s getting older, couldn’t travel. But I want to start off by telling you I love you. I know you had a lot of sleepless nights dealing with me, and I appreciate the sacrifices that you made. Your hard work, your dedication, your stubbornness, that made me the man I am today.
“I also like to apologize for burning down our house when I was seven years old,” Pierce added. “I don’t remember ever apologizing for that, but I guess God knew I had to repay you somehow. So I’m grateful to have made it to the league and got you a new one. So thank you, mom.”
Hosey, who passed away in 2023, would have been proud of all that Pierce accomplished in the NBA. He averaged 19.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game over 19 seasons in the league. Pierce won the championship and Finals MVP with the Celtics in 2008, and has gone down as one of the greatest players in franchise history.
