Author Topic: Paul Pierce: Missing Olympic C.V  (Read 2162 times)

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Paul Pierce: Missing Olympic C.V
« on: August 10, 2021, 06:55:35 PM »

Offline Ed Monix

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I was surprised to hear that Jayson Tatum was the first Olympic medalist to play for Boston since Larry Bird. Given Paul Pierce was a multiple All-NBA player, why wasn’t he selected for Athens 2004 or Beijing 2008?

I could gather he may have excluded himself in Beijing after a long 2008 season, but surely he was good enough for selection in 2004.

You’d think with someone like Larry Brown as coach, he’d prefer an all round veteran over Carmelo Anthony who’d only been in the league one season or Stephon Marbury who was a known defensive black hole and culture killer…I mean even Richard Jefferson was selected over Pierce.

You could have even made a case for Pierce’s selection for the Sydney 2000 team over guys like Shareef Abdur Rahim & Steve Smith.

Can someone explain this to me?
« Last Edit: August 10, 2021, 07:07:50 PM by Ed Monix »
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Re: Paul Pierce: Missing Olympic C.V
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2021, 07:07:32 PM »

Online Roy H.

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Google "Paul Pierce Team USA 2002"



https://www.theringer.com/2016/8/5/16044966/team-usa-basketball-2002-world-championship-f63fa0a6e06f

https://www.celticsblog.com/2009/9/15/1031601/revisiting-the-2002-world

Basically, the team was full of immature knuckleheads who embarrassed the program on the world stage.  They finished sixth in the World Championships.  Pierce clashed with George Karl.  He never got invited back.

Fun fact:  Pierce, Jermaine O'Neal, Michael Finley and Raef Lafrentz from that team all eventually played for the Celtics
« Last Edit: August 10, 2021, 07:20:41 PM by Roy H. »


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Re: Paul Pierce: Missing Olympic C.V
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2021, 07:29:26 PM »

Offline Donoghus

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Google "Paul Pierce Team USA 2002"



https://www.theringer.com/2016/8/5/16044966/team-usa-basketball-2002-world-championship-f63fa0a6e06f

https://www.celticsblog.com/2009/9/15/1031601/revisiting-the-2002-world

Basically, the team was full of immature knuckleheads who embarrassed the program on the world stage.  They finished sixth in the World Championships.  Pierce clashed with George Karl.  He never got invited back.

Fun fact:  Pierce, Jermaine O'Neal, Michael Finley and Raef Lafrentz from that team all eventually played for the Celtics

This.  And Pierce was one of the poster childs.


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Re: Paul Pierce: Missing Olympic C.V
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2021, 07:30:13 PM »

Offline gouki88

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Google "Paul Pierce Team USA 2002"



https://www.theringer.com/2016/8/5/16044966/team-usa-basketball-2002-world-championship-f63fa0a6e06f

https://www.celticsblog.com/2009/9/15/1031601/revisiting-the-2002-world

Basically, the team was full of immature knuckleheads who embarrassed the program on the world stage.  They finished sixth in the World Championships.  Pierce clashed with George Karl.  He never got invited back.

Fun fact:  Pierce, Jermaine O'Neal, Michael Finley and Raef Lafrentz from that team all eventually played for the Celtics
Speaking of George Karl...

https://twitter.com/CoachKarl22/status/1424909052690194442

Hilarious that he still takes shots at Melo
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Re: Paul Pierce: Missing Olympic C.V
« Reply #4 on: August 10, 2021, 08:25:11 PM »

Offline Big333223

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Pierce definitely still had some growing up to do back when he was on team usa in 2002 but I also always thought he got unfairly blamed for all that. Shame he doesn't have a gold medal.
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Re: Paul Pierce: Missing Olympic C.V
« Reply #5 on: August 10, 2021, 09:44:29 PM »

Offline Ed Monix

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Google "Paul Pierce Team USA 2002"



https://www.theringer.com/2016/8/5/16044966/team-usa-basketball-2002-world-championship-f63fa0a6e06f

https://www.celticsblog.com/2009/9/15/1031601/revisiting-the-2002-world

Basically, the team was full of immature knuckleheads who embarrassed the program on the world stage.  They finished sixth in the World Championships.  Pierce clashed with George Karl.  He never got invited back.

Fun fact:  Pierce, Jermaine O'Neal, Michael Finley and Raef Lafrentz from that team all eventually played for the Celtics

TP, thanks for the explanation.

I understand that Pierce was very headstrong back then, but point to one elite score first player that wasn't at the same age. Looking at that 2002 team, I can't even understand how they expected to win with no veteran leaders and average talent.

What I find interesting is that Shawn Marion was included in the 2004 Olympic team, so the whole team obviously wasn't blacklisted.

George Karl is a known a** hole, so it wouldn't surprise me if he clashed with Pierce and that affected his future selection, or perhaps simply Pierce being headstrong unofficially retired from the national team after the World Championships.

Given how poorly the 2004 Olympic team played, it makes me wonder if Pierce was included instead of Marbury, Richard Jefferson or Carmelo Anthony, would they have won the gold medal?
5' 10" former point guard

Career highlight: 1973-74 championship, Boston Celtics

Career lowlight: traded for a washing machine