Accentuating the positive is Pierce's plan this season
Paul Pierce works the phones for a couple of minutes, organizing an evening of Texas Hold 'Em poker with his teammates. The basement of his 7,200-square-foot house is fully equipped for fun. Red velvet pool table. Adequately stocked bar. Theater projection screen in front of an overstuffed black leather couch and two matching recliners. And in front of a barely stocked trophy case, the centerpiece: A poker table with four chairs like the ones in the Celtics' locker room, except Pierce has had his number and ''The Truth" inscribed on them. Celtic poker chips are coming soon.
As he gives a tour from the weight room, complete with heavy bag for unleashing postgame frustrations, to the backyard, with speakers embedded in boulders, Pierce is surprisingly at home, a kid from Inglewood, Calif., comfortable in the New England woods. The house's gray-shingled façade and its proximity to the team's practice facility appealed to Pierce. He purchased the house about 18 months ago when it was under construction and trade rumors concerning the Celtics captain had not yet surfaced.
Despite all that happened last season, he has no regrets about the $2.5 million investment. He has plans to decorate with pictures of his career highlights, signed jerseys from former greats such as Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Hakeem Olajuwon, and Celtics memorabilia. He envisions a team hangout, a retreat from the demands of playing in a sports-obsessed city. For Pierce, his home is a sign of his commitment to Boston, albeit one few people will see.
''People perceive me by what they see on the basketball court," said Pierce, between bites of pizza at his kitchen counter. ''That's not really fair because who I am on the basketball court is not the person that I really am. But that's the only thing that people see. Lately, people have said I'm not coachable. I don't get along with my teammates. I'm moody. I'm a bad influence. I don't know where that comes from. None of it really bothers me because I know myself and I know who I am.
''The so-called superstars of the league are not the same people on the court or around in public as they are away from it. If they say they are, half of them are hypocrites. You act a certain way. You talk a certain way [in public.] You don't act the same way at work as you do at home, where you're most comfortable. This is who I am, relaxing at my home. We're gonna have a poker game tonight, enjoy the fellas."
As captain, leading scorer, and highest-paid player ($13.8 million this season), Pierce is the most visible Celtic. He has few private places or private moments. He left his Waltham condominium because too many fans knew where he lived. Without Antoine Walker around to deflect attention for much of the past two seasons, Pierce was held responsible for the Celtics' failures. At times, he did not deal well with the spotlight. But Pierce disagrees with those who consider him to be too emotional, selfish, immature, and undisciplined, a problem player who must be traded.
In one of his unburdening postgame monologues, Pierce claimed to be like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. But he did not mean to imply he has a monstrous side. He describes himself as ''happy-go-lucky," ''fun," and ''a person who enjoys life." More than anything else, he wants fans to see him as ''normal," entitled to the personality quirks of the average 28-year-old male. But Pierce understands it will never be that simple.
Pierce spent training camp admitting past missteps. One of his preseason talking points was his reminder that ''I bleed like everyone else."
Pierce knows he let his frustrations with the Celtics and coach Doc Rivers surface at the most inopportune times last season. He sulked on the bench. He pushed Indiana's Jamaal Tinsley in Game 6 of the Celtics' first-round series and earned an ejection. He showed up at the postgame press conference with a hastily bandaged jaw, a prank in poor taste that seemed to reveal some truth to his increasingly negative image. He had stretches when he didn't want to talk to the media. He virtually disappeared during the offseason, retreating to Las Vegas and Los Angeles.
''There's a Jekyll and Hyde to everybody," said Pierce. ''Maybe people misinterpreted when I first said it. Some people said I'm moody, but who isn't? Who doesn't have their ups and downs? Who doesn't have their good days and bad days? . . . People say that when I'm on the court I don't smile enough. I'm in competition. I'm not Magic Johnson, where he would beat you and laugh at you. That ain't me. I always put on a game face. But as I started to be under the microscope more, people started to notice the little things. This was never an issue until the last couple years. It got misinterpreted with me just being competitive and wanting to win."
The Escalade also features a DVD player and two mountainous speakers. When asked who uses the DVD player, Pierce admits that no one does yet. ''It is for tailgating," he said, seemingly coming up with the idea on the spot. But Pierce figures when the weather turns warm again, he will invite teammates over for some barbecue and basketball and a movie from his collection of nearly 1,000.
Despite reports to the contrary, Pierce has a good relationship with his teammates. They understand what Pierce must deal with on a daily basis. They see the prankster, not the superstar. No one has a better perspective than Raef LaFrentz, who played with Pierce at Kansas, joined him on the 2002 US world championship squad, and reteamed with Pierce on the Celtics in October 2003.
''The NBA can bring out good and bad things about people," said LaFrentz. ''We saw a few of the bad things last year, but Paul, in general, is a good-hearted person. He intends well. Sometimes he doesn't always go about things in the right way, just dealing with people. But I've known Paul long enough and I know where he's coming from. I understand his side of things as well. A lot of things changed on Paul quickly. Virtually, the team that he knew for five years in this city was completely dismantled in a matter of a year and a half. That's tough for anybody to go through, especially if you're considered a leader. I don't think he's all the time comfortable in that role."
Said Pierce: ''I've always been vocal, maybe not always in the right way. Being a young player, I went at my teammates sometimes the wrong way."
LaFrentz traces some of Pierce's image problems back to the 2002 World Championships in Indianapolis, when the Americans placed a humiliating sixth. During that tournament, Pierce was benched by coach George Karl and labeled selfish.
''That was a mess and Paul was the scapegoat," said LaFrentz. ''People didn't want to take responsibility and say we failed. It was unfair. Paul did some kind of crazy things, but that's who Paul is. By no means did it warrant him being pointed at as the bad apple that turned the ship, all that crap that he had to put up with. After that experience, a lot of things changed for Paul. A lot of things changed for all of us [involved]."
Pierce notes with obvious bemusement how the rumors about bad behavior came after the tournament, just weeks removed from Boston reaching the Eastern Conference finals. He sounds ready to offer a conspiracy theory. But instead, Pierce addresses the most recent assault on his character, which surfaced right before the 2005 NBA Draft. Two Western Conference executives claimed Pierce hurt his standing in the league by keeping late hours and partying.
''Maybe I go out," said Pierce. ''Is there anything wrong with that? I'm off in the summertime. The only reason the Western Conference GMs can say that is because I'm out in the summer and I'm out in L.A. What is partying too much? Do I like to go out in the summertime? Yes. Is there anything wrong with that? I don't think so. I don't have any kids. I'm not married. I'm 28. I'm young, handsome. Has it affected me on the court? No.
''When I hear stuff like that, I just laugh at it. It doesn't match up with reality. You know those are just people who just don't like you. I look at it as I must be doing something good for somebody not to like me. Just like Eminem said, 'The way that you hate it, makes me know that I made it.' "
But when losing streaks inevitably lead to frustration, Pierce should have one more ally than he had last season. All signs indicate that the relationship between Pierce and Rivers has been repaired. According to both men, they communicate better than ever and enjoy a mutual respect that was missing in their first year together. Rivers knows it is in his best interest to get along with his star player. Pierce knows it is in his best interest to shed his reputation as uncoachable.
''It's been a conscious choice by Paul to allow me to coach him, but more importantly, to open up his protective wall and let me in and vice versa," said Rivers. ''I had to do things to make sure he felt I was letting him in. It is a two-way street. At this point, my relationship with him is as good as I've had with anybody at his level. If your best player is coachable, then you have a chance to be a very good team. But if your best player doesn't want to be coached, then you're not going to win."
Rivers has asked both Pierce and Davis for suggestions about plays. Rivers also sought advice from former Kansas coach Roy Williams when the two attended the Michael Jordan Fantasy Camp in August. Before leaving to coach North Carolina, Williams guided Pierce for three seasons in Lawrence, turning the swingman into a first-team All-American. Williams learned to harness the emotion Pierce brings to the court. He called Pierce ''really easy" to coach, citing his drive to become a better player. Williams has been ''dumbfounded" by ''all the negative things that are being said about Paul," though he recognizes winning and team stability at Kansas made his job easier.
The Celtics have been anything but a stable, winning franchise the past few seasons. On occasions, Pierce has let his emotions disrupt the calmness he needs for clutch free throws or game-winning jumpers. Rivers specifically asked Williams how to deal with Pierce's fluctuating emotions.
According to Rivers, Williams answered, ''Just stay on him. I know at times it's very difficult. You're the first guy [in the NBA] that's been honest with him and that's an adjustment again. I was honest with him in college. Now, you're honest with him. That's a hell of a break."
That honesty included benching Pierce last season when he did not play defense or follow through with the game plan. Hence, the sideline sulking. It also meant demanding Pierce take smarter shots and calling him out along with everyone else when he did not do what the coaching staff asked. Pierce grudgingly listened to Rivers and enjoyed his most well-rounded season with a career-best shooting percentage (.455) and averages of 21.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists.
But the halfcourt offense often stalled with Pierce holding the ball too long. He fell back into bad habits, along with other teammates. The season devolved into one inconsistent team performance after another, a series of promising highs followed by inexplicable lows. Pierce took the brunt of the criticism and became more unpredictable on and off the court.
''Coaches always say they treat everybody the same, but that's not true," said Pierce. ''Everybody is different. Phil Jackson couldn't treat [Dennis] Rodman like he treated Steve Kerr or it wouldn't work. You have different personalities. You have different backgrounds. Some may require a little more extra attention than others. You can't coach everybody the same. Good coaches understand that. Maybe I'm one of those players where you approach me different than you approach some of the other guys. Neither [Rivers nor I] got that, I guess. That's what caused the friction. You don't coach Paul Pierce the way you would coach a Marcus Banks or anybody else on the team."
That said, Pierce has learned to be a more effective leader, not separating himself from the group.
''Paul has embraced the role of mentor with these guys," said executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge. ''He really likes these guys, but he also knows he needs them to play well so we can enjoy success as a team. He is leading this year and I think the players look up to him. He demands a certain amount of respect from his teammates because they see how good a player he is. We need Paul to elevate the play of his teammates."
As Pierce waits for his teammates to arrive for the poker game, the house is quiet. Nothing going on outside. No entourage inside. At moments like these, Pierce feels his home is too big, then reminds himself there is time to grow into it.
