This is getting bizarre but I totally understand Pierces point of view. IT had his chance at a night...
http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/22124268/paul-pierce-says-boston-celtics-guilt-trading-isaiah-thomas-reason-retirement-night-disputeSo apparently pierce met with Ainge for 40 minutes about the night, pushed for the IT video to not be there, and Ainge explained a lot to espn, pierce blames the IT video as guilt, tony Allen thinks pierce needs his own night, rondo explains IT did nothing to deserve anything. Read it all :
"Danny and I talked about it for 40 minutes,'' Pierce explained to ESPN early Tuesday afternoon. "He told me, 'This is what we have planned,' and at the end of the conversation, he said, 'If you don't want us to do Isaiah, we won't.' So I told him, 'I really don't.' So that was it.''
"That's how we left it.''
Shortly after ESPN reached out to Ainge to confirm this development, Thomas tweeted that he preferred Boston not run a video tribute for him after all.
(
https://twitter.com/isaiahthomas/status/953427146114043905 )
Earlier in the day, before Thomas' tweet, Pierce explained why he objected to plans to honor Thomas on February 11.
"(Thomas) had a shot to be honored,'' Pierce said. "You came to Boston. Whether you are playing or not, you should have had your tribute then. I just don't see how, if someone is having a jersey retirement, they're going to be running other tributes for other players.
"Danny tried to sell me on it, but I told him, 'He had a shot, Danny, and he punked you on it. He pretty much dictated everything.' They let it happen because they felt sorry how (the trade to Cleveland) went down. It's guilt. That's what it is.''
Ainge said Tuesday night that Thomas intended all along to bow out of the video tribute once he learned of Pierce's reservations. He also said when he and Thomas' agent, Aaron Goodwin, first discussed an alternate date to a Thomas tribute, which was originally scheduled for January 3, neither of them realized the next time the Cavaliers came to town would be the night that Pierce was being honored. Thomas asked not to be recognized on January 3 because he was not going to be playing in the game and he wanted his family present for the tribute.
"I wanted to make it clear that it was never my intention or Isaiah's intention to take away from the special day for Paul Pierce,'' Ainge told ESPN. "And no one was ever comparing IT to Paul Pierce. We all owe Paul a lot. Everyone in the organization.''
Ainge said the team planned to play the Thomas tribute during the pregame introductions.
"It was only going to be during that segment,'' Ainge explained. "During the rest of the game, it was going to be all Paul Pierce. But, after listening to Paul's perspective, I understood it and shared it with Isaiah and he understood it, too.''
Before Tuesday night's game against New Orleans, Tony Allen, who played alongside Pierce on Boston's 2008 championship team, said Pierce deserved his own night.
"I'm with Pierce, man,'' said Allen. "(Thomas) didn't put in more work than Paul. Anybody disagree? OK. Paul Pierce put in big work, man. Why would they honor (Thomas) on that same day, man?
"Let my man get his jersey retired, man. Let him embrace that, man. He put a lot of blood, sweat and tears in this organization, man, and capitalized and had some good results. (Pierce) struggled with the team. I remember losing 19 straight with that man. Turned around and won a championship (the next season). Talk about Paul Pierce, man, don't mention (Thomas') name, the guys' name that don't stand in the same frame.''
Rondos opinion:
Rajon Rondo was irked to hear that the Celtics would honor Isaiah Thomas on any night. "What has he done?” Rondo asked. Told that he led the Celtics to the conference finals last year, Rondo remarked, “Oh, that’s what we celebrate around here?”
https://twitter.com/BillDoyle15/status/953477892209565697