With the eighth pick in the 1998 draft, the Sixers selected Larry Hughes. The ninth pick was Dirk Nowitzki. Paul Pierce went to the Celtics at number 10. Nine teams opted for other players before Pierce and only two of the nine players taken before him are still in the league, Nowitzki and Vince Carter. Now with the Clippers, Pierce caught up with Jessica Camerato of CSNPhilly.com before his matchup in Philadelphia with the Sixers and the 18-year veteran shed some light into what could've been if the Sixers had selected him with the eighth pick.
"Well, Philadelphia would probably be sitting on two championships," he told CSNPhilly.com last week prior to the Clippers game against the Sixers. "Me and Allen Iverson would be in the history books. End of story." [CSNPhilly.com]
1998-99 was Allen Iverson's third year in the league and he was coming off a Rookie of the Year award two years prior and a second-year that saw him average 22.0 points, 6.2 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 steals per game. If Iverson and Pierce would have been on the same team, there's no telling what the Sixers could have accomplished in the early 2000s.
"You just talk about two competitors who just wanted to win," Pierce said. "I think we would have found a way to make it work. I've been able to adjust my game over time when I've played with other great players and I think playing with a great player in Allen Iverson, we would have found a way. Usually, when you get great players together, they figure out how to make it work. As you saw with me and Kevin (Garnett), as you saw with LeBron (James) and D-Wade, I think we would have figured it out." [CSNPhilly.com]
The Celtics and Sixers met in the 2001-02 playoffs, one year after the Sixers appearance in the NBA Finals. Iverson and Pierce went head-to-head and the matchup didn't disappoint, with the Celtics taking the series in five games. Iverson averaged 30.0 points, 4.2 assists and 2.6 steals, including a 42 point performance in the third game of the series. Meanwhile, Pierce scored 46 in the decisive Game 5 and averaged 30.2 points and 8.6 rebounds in the series. One thing Pierce will never forget about playing in Philadelphia is the fans.
"Oh man, I just remember the fans here," Pierce said. "They've got some of the best fans. Where Philly is going, they've got a team that the crowd can get behind, this is probably one of the best places to play basketball. I remember playing them in the playoffs, how loud the crowd was, the towels waving and the electricity in this building. I feel like they can bring that back in the near future."[CSNPhilly.com]
In his 18-year career that includes stints with the Celtics, Nets, Wizards and Clippers, Pierce is averaging 20.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists while shooting 44.6 percent from the floor.
Brandon Apter, Managing Editor for Sixerdelphia.com
